Stars get cosy in elementary take on an old tale

By Vicky Shaw

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

JUDE LAW, who stars as a sexy version of Sherlock Holmes’s ally Dr John Watson, described his co-star Robert Downey Jr yesterday as "the only person I’m in love with".

The two actors have been described as having a powerful chemistry in Guy Ritchie’s latest movie Sherlock Holmes, in which Downey Jr plays the title role.

At a press conference ahead of the movie’s world premiere last night, Law, who has been the subject of speculation that he has been growing closer to his ex-girlfriend Sienna Miller, was asked about romance and being in love.

But Law, who was sitting to the right of Downey Jr, told reporters jokingly: "The only person I’m in love with at the moment is sitting on my left."

Downey Jr has described himself and Law as being "very much on the same page, which is a pretty eccentric page".

Director Ritchie told how he saw Watson as being an attractive character.

"I wanted a good looking Watson and [the media] coined it ‘Hotson’.

"I always saw their relationship as much more of an equal partnership."

Law told how it was not the first time he had appeared on the screen in a version of Sherlock Holmes – telling reporters: "I played a stable boy."

The actor appeared in the TV series which starred Jeremy Brett as Holmes.

Asked if he was scared about approaching the iconic role, Downey Jr said: "I don’t get scared any more. I just get busy."

He said the movie was a fresh interpretation of the story and described it as a "love affair of sorts".

The actor said that Holmes and Watson are "aspects of all of us," adding: "We’re just a good team, you know."

Speaking about his previous experiences of being in Britain, Downey Jr, said: "I was here 20 years ago – and the food sucked."

But the actor, whose drugs battles in the past have been well-documented, later added: "I kind of sucked 20 years ago. Far be it for me to say what was good... I don’t even remember any of it."

Ritchie said he managed to hold on to an English identity with the film while "at the same time we had American muscle and American pockets".

Asked if Britain would be losing Ritchie to Hollywood, he replied: "I make the films that I want to make...

"I think studios have changed with their approach to film makers...

"I had (a) tremendously positive experience from beginning to end."

He said there was no feeling of "us and them" adding: "That just did not happen."

Ritchie was asked if the absence of deerstalker hats and "elementary" references in the movie was a gamble.

But the film maker said a decision was made to have an authentic version of the story "that was not contaminated with previous symbols".

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, December 15, 2009