“Money is for creating excitement and joy,” says happy-go-lucky, miserable Arthur (Russell Brand). The words ring hollow in this unfunny remake about a man and his bottle.
The romantic comedy is as aimless as its namesake is smashed. The drunkenness is only funny once or twice. Alcoholism is a disease that has hurt many. We’ve come a long way since Jack Lemmon slobbered through The Days of Wine and Roses and Dudley Moore cackled in the 1981 original Arthur.
Arthur sees himself as “a lovable rogue with a savant-ish gift for defying death with fun.” His tipsy Batmobile trip with chauffeur Bitterman (Luis Guzman) gets them arrested after they crash into Wall Street’s Golden Bull. We learn that his father died when he was young. His high-powered mother (Geraldine James) seems a shrewd workaholic.
Actor-writer-producer Brand is more talented than he appears here. Brand’s real life recovery from substance abuse should qualify him for better than this.
There are a few funny gags. The gangly 30-something bids against himself to buy Lincoln’s stovepipe hat. Stuck in a loveless engagement in order to keep his inheritance, Arthur tries to rescue his fiancée (Jennifer Garner) who’s trapped beneath his magnetic bed. When his nanny Hobson (Helen Mirren) lands in the hospital, he buys her lots of toys and asks her to say “Wash your winkie” through a Darth Vader mask.
In an almost-memorable movie moment, Arthur clears Grand Central Terminal for an intimate date with Naomi (wonderfully weird Greta Gerwig), a tour guide with whom he’s smitten. They dine on Pez candy and drink champagne at a table for two on a carpet of rose petals. Yet their chemistry feels artificial and empty.
When someone tells Arthur that there’s a recession, he rushes to an ATM machine and gives away thousands to passersby, we’re told. Including this scene would have helped us empathize with the character. Finally Arthur’s toys and lavish misadventures are more interesting than the bloke himself.
This remake hinges on two great performances. Mirren is caustic but not unfeeling. Clearly disgusted with childish Arthur, she claims she has stayed on to bask in his “dazzling presence.” Mirren’s work now stands alongside John Gielgud’s Oscar-winning role as the original’s bemused, stately butler.
Darling of the indie Greenberg, Gerwig creates a fine adaptation of Liza Minnelli’s Linda Marolla. Naomi gives illegal tours of Grand Central Station and has a passion for children’s books. She draws a charming Statue of Liberty with a tale of her own. Visions of that story, along with Uta Briesewitz’s iconic Manhattan cityscapes, provide genuine whimsy and real class.
“You have a problem,” Naomi tells Arthur. When Hobson drags him to an AA meeting, he jokes around and leaves early.
Luckily Brand is starring in the box office hit Hop, where he voices the part of E.B., son of the Easter Bunny. Brand is a producer for Arthur and author of an autobiography, My Booky Wook.
Arthur’s ending is sudden and unearned. Director Jason Winer missed a real opportunity to re-vision this film. Perhaps it’s time for a new story altogether.
If you like Arthur, you might enjoy: Love & Other Drugs; Greenberg; Just Go With It; Crazy Heart.
Subscribe to Secret Agent Gal Reviews.
Arthur 2011 / PG-13 / 1 hour, 50 mins
Cast Overview: Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner, Geraldine James, Luis Guzman, Nick Nolte
Director: Jason Winer
Genre: Comedy, Romantic Comedy
Recent Comments