By Nils A. Shapiro
When my wife, Linda, and I decided to watch a new streaming on Amazon Prime, The Sheep Detectives, I had already decided that—despite the positive reception it had received from many critics—this was not the kind of film I would consider appropriate for my review column.
A bunch of sheep getting together to solve the mystery of who murdered their beloved shepherd? Silly. Based on a recently published novel, “Three Bags Full,” by Leonie Swann, it sounded like a confusing combination of a children’s story added to a murder plot, and the fact that such names as Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Patrick Stewart are attached to it—although several of them only as voices of the sheep—wasn’t enough to convince me otherwise.
The film itself proved me very wrong. And with the demographics of Boca Raton in recent years clearly trending toward families, the opportunity to recommend a film that can be enjoyed by all ages—each at his or her own level of understanding—is too tempting to refuse. Especially when the story itself, as one critic put it, involves “a delightful family entertainment that bundles disarmingly profound themes in a cozy package.” Add to that the “abundance of pathos” pointed out by another and you have all the more reason to introduce your home’s “flock” to the one in this film.
In the opening moments we meet Jackman as George Hardy, a kind-hearted, caring farmer in the village of Denbrook, England, who dearly loves his large flock of numerous breeds, including Lily, a ewe Shetland Sheep; Mopple, a ram Merino Sheep; Cloud, a fluffy gray ram North County Cheviot Sheep; Reggie and Ronnie, two Norfolk Horn Sheep who love to run around and butt everything; Sebastian, a powerful, horned black Moont Sheep who was rescued by Hardy from a carnival where he was used in fighting shows; a tiny unnamed black-and-white lamb who is shunned by the rest of the flock because he is a “winter sheep” born out of the usual spring birthing season… and many others.
Hardy loves all his sheep, feeds and cares for all their needs, and gathers them around each day as he reads his favorite mystery novels to them. In discussing these stories he reassures the sheep, especially the always worrying Lily, that life never really ends. Sheep just float up into the heavens and become clouds.
Then one day George is found dead, lying on his back on the meadow! His sheep are grief-stricken. The small village’s one police officer begins an investigation by listing all of the possible perpetrators according to motives: the town’s other shepherd whose effort to combine their flocks had been rejected by Hardy; the butcher who would have loved to slaughter and sell Hardy’s sheep; the innkeeper; Hardy’s own grown daughter, who had just arrived in the village that same day for the first time after having been sent for adoption at a very young age when her mother died in another childbirth…or the Reverend, not likely since Hardy had just made a large donation to the church. A new arrival in town, a young newspaper reporter sent to cover its annual festival, sees this murder case as an opportunity to make his mark as a journalist and attaches himself to the police officer asking to help follow every clue.
Along the way, Lily—and through her the other sheep—learn to accept the realities of life, to make the most of the time we have and to live it well, as their shepherd did. That results in a very sweet and touching moment for the tiny shunned “winter sheep” lamb whom the others in the flock will now accept and fittingly name George in honor of their lost shepherd.
I wondered as I watched the film which cinematic technical process had been used to have each sheep’s mouth move flawlessly in motion with the words being spoken, but it was not until after seeing the film did I discover to my astonishment the extraordinary technical achievement under Director Kyle Balda that must surely deserve Oscar consideration at the next Academy Awards.
This is one that every member of the family can enjoy, from the youngest who will love the wonderful sheep characters to those capable of interpreting the film’s message. As Alissa Wilkinson of The New York Times noted, “…all elements of the film, humor, mystery, goofiness and even sentimentality, all balanced beautifully. It’s a movie that treats each member of its audience with respect, no matter their age.”
Audiences apparently agree. Released theatrically in May of this year, box office revenues already provided revenue almost twice the film’s $75 million production costs.
