‘Enola Holmes 2’ matures by exploiting its strengths and settling on a superficial and vindictive tone

Enola Holmes, with a naturalness that can only be born from that childhood supported by the character of Helena Bonham Carter in the absence of any limitations related to gender roles, took his first steps on Netflix emphasizing that we are facing a wild and free detective, despite being a woman and for this very reason. Thus the character embodied by Millie Bobby Brown was outlined with a strong feminist tone although that first film was not as a whole a representative mystery in this sense. On the contrary, in ‘Enola Holmes 2’, available on Netflix from November 4th, the team responsible for these adaptations takes a step forward, betting on the setting of the case in an environment focused on the female erasure of history and the dawn of a struggle for equality.

Set in 1888 (circa), four years after the original, this sequel struggles to find a tone that allows you to prioritize entertainment by denouncing some current social problems, launching concrete ideas and without neglecting the secrets of his intrigue; a mission that can be defined as practically impossible. One of the greatest exponents of the contemporary detective genre, Rian Johnson, succeeds, but the level of script required for the aforementioned triad to shine requires excellent skill.

This genius is not found in ‘Enola Holmes 2’, film that shares his claimed interest with the “Daggers in the Back” saga.. The sequel to “Enola Holmes” also aims to show her distaste for some social inequality through comedy, but his approach is much more superficialnot because the vision is tremendously different, but because the talent is clearly not the same.

To be fair, ‘Enola Holmes 2’ has the occasional point in this regard. Its beginning stands out. a few first minutes dedicated to drawing attention to the merit that many men have taken at the expense of the ingenuity of many women; but overall It gives the feeling that feminism is an excuse to cover history with that vengeful veneer that seems to be so fashionable. In contrast to the fluidity with which in the first film every inconvenience linked to the female condition was treated, in the second episode a historical fact is cited that charges it with fiction and with such a simple aspect as to approach the mercantile side of the question. This ends up compensating with a closing text that gives more information on an important figure in the movement, but the balance of entertainment / solid feminist claim does not end up being compensated for.

Something better stops his cross-sectional criticism of racism, only because it focuses on real diversity in the film’s cast. Many times when looking for a cast made up of both black and white actors, it happens that the latter are left to the supporting roles. In “Enola Holmes 2”, steps are being taken towards a truly diverse core of characters, a leading group that establishes itself ignoring the color of the actors’ skin, although this is something to be explored in future installments..

That yes, the intention of a generous future in what refers to the television adaptations of Enola, it is so evident that ‘Enola 2’ can already score so much, from a structure that has, even without the green light, at least a third movie. In this sense, we must mention the three creatives who are involved in promoting the franchise. Harry Bradbeer and Jack Thorne return as executive producers and as director and screenwriter respectively.capturing the character created by Nancy Springer from the hand of a Brown who, in addition to being a star, is a producer.

Brown is involved in Enola and shows, especially in her effort to put together one of the film’s greatest conflicts, the friction that comes from the inevitable tug-of-war between her professional and personal life. This brown hound has one goal: to become one of the best investigators of her time, something that requires total dedication? The search for a path that does not mean closing that romantic facet born from the hand of Viscount Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), proposes an interesting path not only for the protagonist of this film but also for her famous brother Sherlock.

Henry Cavill returns in the role of the researcher who inspired so many applause at the hands of Robert Downey Jr. and more generally with the know-how of Benedict Cumberbatch; finding its niche thanks to a discreet and contained interpretation. This Sherlock, as closed to all feelings as he is often intrinsic to most versions of the character, changes in response to the evolution of his relationship with Enolawho begins to discover that perhaps loneliness is not a necessary ingredient to succeed in the profession, but rather an impediment.

hold interests

‘Enola Holmes 2’ lasts 2h 9min which, extrapolated to the average length of current films, is not too long. The first episode was around that time, but the pace ended up suffering due to the interest in a case that paled alongside the second narrative line of the film: Enola’s childhood and her struggle to face a much more hostile world than what he imagined. . In this case, the interest in the topic persists thanks to the alternation of subplots that manage to capture the viewer.. Once again, the mystery to be solved is the least attractive, a disappearance that is intertwined with a certain unanswered question that keeps Sherlock awake at night; but by bringing Eudoria (Bonham Carter) back, delving a little deeper into the relationship between Enola and Sherlock, and relying on Enola and Tewkesbury’s flirtation, the entertainment remains..

Furthermore, this second adventure of the potential saga recovers the stylistic commitment of the first, making an intelligent use of its resources. The moments of breaking of the fourth wall stand out, so fashionable today. and that Bradbeer has already passed on the screen in “Fleabag”. That Phoebe Waller-Bridge script set a trend, causing the aforementioned resource to be used today with a more or less comic and sarcastic intent, very recurrent in recent proposals. There is “She-Hulk: Lawyer Hulka” and again “Enola 2”, who exploits the instant emotional connection resulting from that break to maintain his bond with the viewer.

In short, ‘Enola Holmes 2’ entertains and supports his intrigues, reinforcing the strengths that have made his protagonist the meat of the saga.

Note: 7

The best: The denunciation of the female cancellation of the story with which the film begins.

Worse: That just as it sometimes shines with its feminist critique, on other occasions it is so simple that it invites us to remember the mercantilism that this movement has awakened.