Review of Arthur (2011) by Keith T — 31 Mar 2013

This updating of Arthur works well, possibly because Dudley Moore based the original Arthur on Peter Cook, and where as Dudley just observed Peter, Russell Brand has sort of imprinted him. Arthur is also given far more funny lines in the remake, which replace many of the bits where Dudley just fell over drunk.

Helen Mirren's transformation of Hobson into Arthur's long-suffering nanny is terrific, and perhaps tops even Sir John Gielgud's Oscar-winning original. Geraldine James gives Arthur the mother from Hell, sort of Alexis Colby without the heart.

If there is a missing piece of the chemistry, it is that Greta Gerwig doesn't shine as Naomi in same way Liza Minelli did. Where this version will almost certainly date is in all those product placement shots of Arthur's shiny Blackberry, which like James Bond's Sony-Ericsson feature phone in Casino Royale will be well out of date in 5 years, let alone 30.