Arthur is a film about taking responsibility; it’s about questioning the status quo and taking a stand. Starring Russell Brand, this is a remake (not a re-envisioning) of Dudley Moore’s 1981 film of the same name. And to be honest…I just didn’t want to watch it. but due to circumstances I ended up seeing it anyway. And you know what? I actually liked it.
What’s most surprising to me is the stellar performance of Russell Brand, an actor I’m not too all familiar with beyond the trailers I’ve seen for various raunchy sex comedies. So, I really wasn’t expecting much from his acting, but it turns out the guy can act. We see him display a wide variety of convincing emotions throughout the film.
The basic premise of the film is about a man named Arthur, a man-child of a sort that has lived rich all his life and has a Nanny to take care of his every need. He believes in all fun and no work and this often times get’s him in trouble with his face plastered on front page of every newspaper. Not everyone finds this funny however, as his mom who heads one of the largest, richest companies in the country is losing investors because Arthur is not dependable enough to run the company once it’s time for him to over over the reins. The plan? Marry Arthur off to another wealthy family and have his wife become the successor to the company and its fortune and if he doesn’t agree he’s cut off from the money and the life he’s been used to for so long. To make matters even more complicated, he falls in love with a woman from a poor part of town who shows him there is more to life than wasting it drinking and partying and being always on the go. (a representation of our own society perhaps)
It’s interesting to note that the actress chosen didn’t really come off as being skilled enough to play alongside Russell, the first scene of her speaking felt awkward. But the moment the two are together on scene the chemistry between the two begins to take off rapidly and you begin to realize she’s just as quirky as he is, but with a bit more restraint and a lot more responsibility. Leaving Arthur with a tough choice. Marry the evil and twisted women of the other rich company or leave his wealth behind to be with the one he truly loves. This choice will take the entire course of the movie to come to terms with, because you see not only is he addicted to his lifestyle he is also an alcoholic. All of this opens up many heartwarming scenes between his true love as well as the Nanny who is more like a mother to him.
Overall, I was not expecting to like this movie but ended up being completely engrossed in the story and the characters. It was a welcome surprise to see a quirky comedy that managed to retain a lot of heart in the process.
7/10
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