Sam Claflin

When Enola Holmes Sherlock’s teen sister discovers her mother has gone missing, she sets off on her own adventure to not only find her but unravel a conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord : A DELIGHT FROM START TO FINISH Enola Holmes is fresh, inventive and SO MUCH FUN : the films energy is straight from the get-go as we watch Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola cycling through the English Country Side speaking into the camera ala Frank Underwood, narrating the story as she goes : first impressions IT’S WONDERFUL, from the bright colours, the costumes & the humor everything is so ALIVE : I loved the gorgeous sets (especially London), the encounters between Enola & the evil Linthorn are superb with sharp choreography, Burn Gorman doesn’t go easy on our heroine : the casting too is splendid with a few of my favourite actors delivering fun work such as Fiona Shaw’s Miss Harrison the boarding school head mistress (who’s utterly terrifying), Helena Bonham Carter’s mummy Holmes (is all sweet & cuddly) and Sam Claflin’s tough older brother Mycroft (boooooo), but without question the movie ultimately belongs to Millie who’s bright as a button humor & deliverance is terrific, her cheeky narration and glancing at the camera with those big eyes is MAGNIFICENT : I loved the way we see flashbacks of Enola’s times spent with her mother, growing up and learning martial arts and her clever deduction using scrabble pieces, her interation with Tewkesbury & Edith and of course the small screen time she shares with her older brother Sherlock played by Henry Cavill which is a delight but kept to a minimum (after all the story is about Enola and not Mr Holmes) : Enola Holmes is one of the BEST franchise builders for many a year, a real breath of fresh air with it’s star Millie Bobby Brown delivering a smart young detective for the 21st Century : the film’s a perfect blend of action, humor & romance that is brilliantly directed by Fleabag & Killing Eve’s Harry Bradbeer ★★★★½

THE HUNGER GAMES : CATCHING FIRE – (2013) – Movie Review ★★★★

Cast – Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Jena Malone, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman & Sam Claflin – Catching Fire starts with Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark preparing for their victory tour throughout the country – President Snow is growing suspicious of Katniss’s true feelings for Peeta and wants her eliminated, blaming her for the recent uprising in the districts and the announcement of Panem’s third Quarter Quell, a special version of the Games held every 25yrs throws Katniss & Peeta back in the arena where survival at all costs is top of the agenda VERDICT – with I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence on-board for the sequel to 2012’s The Hunger Games and a group of actors more familiar with their surroundings and current status amongst Hollywood’s elite, Catching Fire entered rare territory by becoming a movie sequel that’s far superior to it’s original – everything from the film’s sets, the film’s urgency and the exhilarating action were far superior to the first movie – especially the District 12 sets, the poison mist and the Monkey Mutts chase scene were breathtaking – hats off to some of the newcomers to the franchise, my favorites being Jena Malone’s Johanna, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Heavensbee & Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair all playing pivotal roles and shining when the spotlight was on – overall THE HUNGER GAMES : CATCHING FIRE does fine justice to the world created by Suzanne Collins and surpassed any expectations I had going into the theater – the third and final book is being adapted over two movies the first of which lands late 2014 and if Catching Fire hasn’t whet the appetite for what’s to come then the cannon must have sounded and your dead somewhere ready to be craned off to the Capitol….