Review of Arthur (2011) by Graeme F — 28 Sep 2011

Continuing the trend of remaking basically every movie ever made, we have "Arthur" (2011), which is a remake of the 1981 film of the same name, starring the late great Dudley Moore. Although this remake will not reach the same award winning success of the original film nor is it as lmao funny as the original, this movie is still a likable comedy that grows to have heart.

For me, Russell Brand is one of those actors that I have had a real hard time wrapping my head around, and only after considerable effort have I come to like him, but even then, it would be for selective roles only. This film seems to be tailor made to fit his character quite well, and he does a good job of playing Arthur Bach, the role made famous by Moore. His childish wit and quick tongue make for some memorable lines, and with a terrific supporting cast, his character is well flushed out and actually becomes quiet lovable, which is rare with Brand's characters. Though his character is well developed and benefits most from the story and supporting cast, it is unfortunately those same cast members that seem to be less than fully developed.

The best of all these is Helen Mirren's character Hobson, Bach's nanny of over 30 years. She doesn't have the same strong personality nor presence of John Gielgud's version from the original movie, but where she does have the advantage is in that she is a woman. The connection between a child and its mother is incredibly strong, and Hobson fulfills that duty for Brand's character. Though not having the same presense of Geilgud's, Mirren's Hobson has just as much poise and collected demeanor, while at the same time is able to tap into that mother-son connection, which I'm sure tugs on the heart strings of the audience. Rounding out the supporting cast, is Jennifer Garner as Susan Johnson, the opportunistic woman Arthur must marry to keep his inheritance, along with Greta Gerwig as Naomi Quinn, the lower working class woman Arthur truly loves. Though not exactly the same character as the one found in the original movie, which was played by Liza Minnelli, Gerwig makes this similar character her own and brings a nice freshness to a character we have too often seen duplicated in other films.

The music and settings/locations for the various scenes are quite beautiful and different from other films, again being a nice breath of fresh air, and the fashion and wardrobe design really stands out. All the dresses the ladies wear are uniquely suited to their characters, and all the outlandish costumes and suits worn by Bach fit his character perfectly as well.

All in all this is a nice movie to see. It doesn't bring anything necessarily new to this type of genre nor is it overly inspired, which tends to be the case with remakes, however it it does a good job of honoring the original film, while adding new elements to it. This may be one of Brand's best roles, in that he doesn't go over the top as he normally does, since his character is already so over expressive. This in turn brings to the surface his subtle facial expressions and mannerisms, along with his vulnerability, making this his most impressive performance to date.

I would definitely recommend checking this movie out. It is a fun movie to watch, and I suspect will become one of those films you watch when you want to re-instill your hope in humanity haha.