The film is based on Conan Doyle, only the action is transferred to Moscow in the early 20th century, this can be seen from the title. The fact that the investigation is led by unexpected characters from the world of art - Gilyarovskiy and Stanislavsky - is probably done to attract the viewer, but in general this fact does not cause rejection. But the film itself from the very first frames causes disbelief, so characteristic of our famous theater director. Somehow everything is very decorative (as in the theater) and unnatural, and the acting is not credible. However, when the detective component begins, the interest in viewing does its own - and you pay less attention to the absurdities. Although the detective component is uncomplicated, the writers do not bother us with the question of who the criminal is for a long time - you just need to grab him, the storyline from the Sign of Four, I believe, is familiar to many. It is funny, of course, that the Englishman and his accomplice-native from the Andaman Islands, who in theory should look like elephants at the South Pole at Khitrovka, know in criminal Moscow all the moves and exits, underground labyrinths, quietly scurry, without attracting attention to houses and windows, and establish surveillance for the heroine. The heroine, by the way, is really good, and just a character who does not cause rejection with his unreality.
To summarize, the film in beautiful scenery, with a simple, but moderately interesting detective story, But somehow it all looks unconvincing, inharmonious. A good cast looks unconvincing. I bet 7/10 that it was interesting to watch.
And the most important thing that this film opened for me is the play At the bottom, or rather its role in Russian art. Everyone knows about it, even if they have not read it, but it is difficult to convey the innovation, the sensational novelty that it has brought to Russian culture in words. But in the scenery of the early 20th century, the authors of the film succeeded. After all, it is really strange, bold and unexpected to show on the stage of a beautiful famous theater, in front of the starched public the life of slums, where the main characters wear not coats and wigs, but rags. They are talking about a human being. It’s better to see it once, thanks to the filmmakers.