Without a Clue

Amazon.com

Without a Clue is an underrated comedy featuring stellar teamwork by two great actors, Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley. This Sherlock Holmes pastiche with a twist stars Kingsley as physician, writer, and self-effacing super-sleuth Dr. John Watson, who channels his genius for deduction into lucrative stories about Holmes. Watson wants the world to believe the fictional private eye actually exists, posing a problem when a steady stream of troubled souls come seeking Holmes's help. The doctor's prescription: hire a two-bit, drunken, skirt-chasing actor (Caine) to portray the Great Detective, an arrangement that causes Watson consternation whenever "Holmes" tries to improvise his way through a case. Wonderful comic timing and tension make Without a Clue a delight; Caine, particularly, gets a lot of mileage out of the faux Holmes's grand efforts to appear a genius. Henry Mancini's score adds a touch of old Hollywood gloss, and Thom Eberhardt (Night of the Comet) directs. --Tom Keogh

Description

Suppose for a moment that Dr. Watson was the real brains behind Sherlock Holmes? The result is anything but elementary! Academy AwardÂ(r) winners* Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley deliver stellar performances as a delightful duo, an 1890s Odd Couple (Los Angeles Times) in this madcapmystery that's 'the most hilarious Sherlock Holmes adventure of them all ('sneak Previews )! Dr. John Watson (Kingsley) is secretly a crime-solving genius. But to protect his reputation as a physician, he hires bumbling, boozy, out-of-work actor Reginald Kincaid (Caine) to play the part of his fictional creation, Sherlock Holmes. The charade works until Watson mysteriously disappears, forcing the baffled, seriously inept Holmes to crack the biggest case of Watson's career on his own! *Caine: Supporting Actor, The Cider House Rules (1999); Supporting Actor, Hannah and Her Sisters (1986); Kingsley: Actor, Gandhi (1982)

Customer Reviews:

If you're not British just go brush up your witticism.......2007-07-18

Only The Brits can both reinvent Sherlock Holmes and make fun of him, or rather of us, the audience who made Sherlock Holmes into a reality, who was nothing but the figment of one isolated imagination. This film is a masterpiece of humor, of wit, of surprise, of funny and gay suspense, and I even mean strange, weird, frankly why not slightly queer. If your are learned you have a carriageful of allusions to anything and all of everything else you can think of. Oscar Wilde of course and his Lady Windermere's fan, Ben Jonson and his Silent Woman, and Shakespeare from the beginning of Titus Andronicus to the end of the Tempest, without speaking of King Lear and Hamlet who may sound banal, good enough for a couple of rooms in an inn. From time to time you have an allusion to Conan Doyle and the real Sherlock Holmes and the figment of Sherlock's imagination, Dr Watson, or something like that. I must say I loved Miss Giles. He was the best surprise, the cherry on the cake, the whip cream on the ice cream. And yet already twenty years old. Could we still do that today in our over serious time? Could we laugh at an institution like the Bible, whose Psalm 234 was made fun of in the punch line of the arrest? Are we gay enough to laugh at our little feelings and desires for ever locked up in, is it, a cabinet, a cupboard, a sideboard or a wardrobe?

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

Clueless.......2007-07-13

I watched this film recently with a friend who is a Sherlock Holmes buff of longstanding. I was curious as to how a true fan would take to the idea of Watson being the brains behind the operation and Holmes merely and empty cloak and deerstalker (i.e. an out-of-work actor hired by Watson to portray HIS fictitious creation, the genius detective Sherlock Holmes. It seemed to be a clever enough conceit to me, but perhaps it would be akin to sacrilege for a true devotee.

I needed have worried. My friend enjoyed the film immensely. The notion of Sherlock being, in fact, a fraud and buffoon amused him to no end. I, on the other hand, have never been that keen on Sherlock or mysteries in general, had a few more qualms about the film. The premise is clever, of course--although even that seemed vaguely familiar, like maybe I'd seen a take off of the same order on some cartoon show or other--but was it more than a one-joke movie? The actors seemed to be having a real lark of it, and that spirit can be congagious to some extent, but still, one can't help wonder if this ripe set-up couldn't have been exploited better.

But as an evening's entertainment, WITHOUT A CLUE is fine. Fans of Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley will enjoy the film without reservation. They are almost always interesting to watch, and this film is no exception. Caine is especially good as the ne'er-do-well actor who begins "to do BETTER" at least when push comes to shove. Kingsley nearly always radiates intelligence and wit, so who better to play Watson as the genius "Crime Doctor" that he secretly is? They do manage to breathe considerable life into the film, as does the rest of the capable cast. You just wish they had a little bit more to do is all. It's all just a bit too--dare we say it?--elementary.

Two Great Dramatic Actors Create An Absolutely Hilarious Comedy.......2007-07-06

If you asked me who my all time favorite actor was, my answer is Ben Kingsley, who won a Best Actor Oscar for Ghandi, and also impressed me with roles in "Schindler's List", "Sneakers", "Joseph", and "Moses". Honorable mention would belong to Michael Caine, who garnered a Best Supporting Actor for "Hannah And Her Sisters", and who I also have seen in "The Island", "Beyond The Poseidon Adventure", "Educating Rita", "Victory", and "The Muppet's Christmas Carol"; Caine was good in each of those roles, even though some of the movies weren't.

These two are not know for comedies (though Caine has been in his fair share). However, both are absolutely hilarious in this comedy. My dad (Neal Clark Reynolds, also an Amazon reviewer) said prior to seeing this that he had a hard time imagining Kingsley as Dr. Watson, partially because he had a hard time imagining anyone other than Nigel Bruce. Both actors pulled off their roles.

The premise in itself is hilarious, a role reversal of classic fiction. I wonder if Remington Steele was an inspiration, which also was based on a detective who was not taken seriously until a fictitious superior was created.

One concern I have over most movies nowadays is its attitude and worldliness. There are PG-13 and R rated movies (e.g. "The Second Chance" or "Schindler's List") that I consider of a more positive worldview than a PG or even G rated movies (e.g. "Wargames" and "Babe"). This movie, while by no means Christian, did not have that negative attitude or worldliness. There are only a couple of scenes that would make me nervous of having a child watching it, especially without parental supervision, but that's not bad nowadays, and those scenes were not bad enough to bump the rating to PG-13. I will say, though, there is one plot twist I did not approve of, but not to the extent to keep me from enjoying the movie as a whole, and this would make me uncomfortable having a child below junior high watching it with me.

One theme I always enjoy is when a character has to step up to their potential, and does. This movie fits into that category. One important lesson in this film also is the role of gratitude. That's all I'll say, and hope I didn't give away too much of the movie.

Kingsley and Holmes as comic geniuses; 4+ 1/2 stars of sparkling spoof!!!.......2007-05-19

What a joy to see two of the finest actors on the planet, Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine in a comedy! Academy Award winners,both,WITHOUT A CLUE is a great reminder of how real comedy done by classically trained actors can be so much more rewarding, especially Ben Kingsley who is more noted for his serious roles. Caine on the other hand has often played a lout and a buffoon before (SAVING GRACE)with great effect. Both show why they have such long and distinguised careers as they, with great agilility, bring Dr. Watson and Mr. Holmes to life in this funny and ficticious role reversal.

It is not necessary to have an indepth working knowledge of the Sherlock Holmes stories to appreciate this wonderful film, though knowledge of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories does make this screenplay all the more clever!

The great Henry Mancini provides a wonderful romp of a soundtrack fitting for this sparkling spoof on the team of Holmes and Watson.....or is it Watson and somewhat if none of Holmes at all???

Beautifully filmed on locations in and around London it is a real shame that WITHOUT A CLUE was released in a year when comedies such as BEETLEJUICE and A FISH CALLED WANDA as well as heavyweights DANGEROUS LIAISONS, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST and RAIN MAN were garnering all of the praise .Perhaps in a different year WITHOUT A CLUE , Kingsley and Caine would have received the recognition so richly deserve!

Both vhs and dvd are adequate for WITHOUT A CLUE as they are both in FULL SCREEN and both have wonderful colour saturation.

Another suggested companion film spoofing the Holmes stories would be YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES.

a novel view in figure holmes.......2007-05-07

a good movie
a fine cast
a pleasure for holmes lovers

Average customer rating:

If you're not British just go brush up your witticism
Clueless
Two Great Dramatic Actors Create An Absolutely Hilarious Comedy
Kingsley and Holmes as comic geniuses; 4+ 1/2 stars of sparkling spoof!!!
a novel view in figure holmes

Without a Clue [Region 2]
Starring: Michael Caine , Ben Kingsley , Jeffrey Jones , Lysette Anthony , and Paul Freeman
Director: Thom Eberhardt
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005RY7J