Review of Arthur (2011) by Christian C — 01 Feb 2012

Full moon pushes some people a little bit off their rockers. Most of the time, I sing Arthurâ(TM)s Theme albeit with a few changes whenever that silver orb looks bigger and shines brighter than the usual. Goes something like this: âWhen I get caught/Between the moon and QUEZON CITY/I know Iâ(TM)M CRAZY/But itâ(TM)s trueâ? Did warned you for some changes. Just a clarification: I make sure not one soul is awake in our apartment when I warble near the windows. Must not cause a commotion. Or stir up nightmares. Ah. Arthurâ(TM)s Theme. one of the best Oscar-winning songs. Scratch that. One of the best songs. Ever.

I have not seen the original movie starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minelli. (Thereâ(TM)s a sequel to Arthur called Arthur 2: On the Rocks. It received bad reviews that I even remember a one and half rating in a movie rental guide. Ouch.) Heard that it is good and better than this one. I guess there should be no surprises since it is the usual case when classics are remade. There are 3 reasons though I still watched this film despite the bad reviews (Audience reaction was quite positive last night. Best Unintended Reaction: âOMG! Si Nigel Barker!â? Then men, I guess husbands, replied, âSino si Nigel Barker?â? Gender gap at its finest.) and even worse gut feeling that the critics are correct. First, Russell Brand. Some people donâ(TM)t get him but I do. I even understand his predilection for uber-tight jeans. As long as you can make fun of it, you can wear it as tight as you can. Second, Greta Gerwig. Still not a household name but with the right projects, sheâ(TM)ll gain the appreciation she deserves. For one reason or another, I havenâ(TM)t finished watching her acclaimed movie with Ben Stiller, Greenberg (Must do it.). But based the scenes Iâ(TM)ve watched, Gerwig is a star. Third, Helen Mirren.

A newspaper or magazine wrote that a good director cannot save a movie but a good actor can make it a bit better. On top of its list of actors-so-good-they-make-bad-movies-bearable is of course the venerable DHM or Dame Helen Mirren. This is her second consecutive film with Brand and the odd pair seems to have struck a friendship. It helps too they have quite the chemistry, on and off the screen. Just watch their stint as Oscar presenters last time. There is a good reason Tweeps commented Mirren-Brand for Oscar Hosts. In Arthur, DHM went toe-to-toe with the rascal lead star. Silliness: wearing a Darth Vader mask. Risque: reminding Arthur to wash the part between his thighs as wild living things might thriving in it. But of course, it is the gravitas she provides that remain priceless. British acting royalties bequeath a certain air of importance to movies. Even popcorn flicks. Be it Michael Caine in the Batman series. Or Ian McKellan in the X-Men franchise. Just check out the glorious ensemble of the Queenâ(TM)s acting subjects in the Potter films! Must be the Shakespearian training. Must be the accent.

Oh hell. The reason I adore DHM is she makes aging a wonderful thing. Something to look forward to. Her gorgeous head of white hair has provided me enough reason NOT to make a big fuss of the silver strands am seeing on a shocking regular basis. Yes. This raven-haired 20-ish woman is turning into a silver fox. There. Out in the open.

Original Arthur is a lovable drunkard while Remake Arthur is a childish drunkard with obvious mother issues. The former borders the rehashed poor-little-rich-kid/man-child stories. I am not sure if there is a proper method to make it better. Exploit the recession. Do a satire on the Wall Street. Make fun of the economic a-holes er experts. I guess the remake is indeed a bad idea. Thank goodness for Helen.

RATING: C.