I saw the first "Arthur" years ago and was a big Dudley Moore fan as a young teenager. Dudley was great in "Arthur" and "10." And thus, when this remake came about I purposely avoided it. After all - why try to top a classic? Then, one evening when absolutely nothing else of worth was on, this was just starting on HBO. So... I decided to give it a shot. And I ended up absolutely enjoying this film.
I must confess to not having seen any prior Russell Brand movies nor have I seen any other movies w/ Greta Gerwig, so I went into this w/ positively no expectations. Jennifer Garner does a great job of making herself unlikeable - which is a tremendous feat for an actress that most of us adore.
Helen Mirren is quite enjoyable in the role of "Nanny Hobson" and Luis Guzmán is his usual off-the-wall self as "Bitterman." But the movie comes down to two essential characters: Arthur {Brand} and Naomi {Gerwig.} And there is a chemistry between the two that translates well on the screen.
I usually avoid this type of "romantic comedy" and look for deeper movies w/ much substance, but "Arthur" just hit a spot for me. I gather from the other reviews here that some people have lost that ability to allow themselves to just get swept away in a film and take it for what it is.
"Arthur" isn't anything that is going to change the world, but it is delightful in its own way. Who can't watch this and imagine themselves as Arthur - living life carefree and having fun w/ absolutely no concern for money? Yes - for most it is simply a fantasy - but it's also nice to have that fantasy for a couple of hours occasionally.
The only thing I found disturbing about the movie is that Hollywood is so bereft of original ideas that they've turned to remaking movie after movie. Hopefully that will change, though I doubt it.
All in all, I enjoyed the new "Arthur" and if you go into it w/ out expecting anything more than a brief respite from life, I imagine you will enjoy it as well.
I must confess to not having seen any prior Russell Brand movies nor have I seen any other movies w/ Greta Gerwig, so I went into this w/ positively no expectations. Jennifer Garner does a great job of making herself unlikeable - which is a tremendous feat for an actress that most of us adore.
Helen Mirren is quite enjoyable in the role of "Nanny Hobson" and Luis Guzmán is his usual off-the-wall self as "Bitterman." But the movie comes down to two essential characters: Arthur {Brand} and Naomi {Gerwig.} And there is a chemistry between the two that translates well on the screen.
I usually avoid this type of "romantic comedy" and look for deeper movies w/ much substance, but "Arthur" just hit a spot for me. I gather from the other reviews here that some people have lost that ability to allow themselves to just get swept away in a film and take it for what it is.
"Arthur" isn't anything that is going to change the world, but it is delightful in its own way. Who can't watch this and imagine themselves as Arthur - living life carefree and having fun w/ absolutely no concern for money? Yes - for most it is simply a fantasy - but it's also nice to have that fantasy for a couple of hours occasionally.
The only thing I found disturbing about the movie is that Hollywood is so bereft of original ideas that they've turned to remaking movie after movie. Hopefully that will change, though I doubt it.
All in all, I enjoyed the new "Arthur" and if you go into it w/ out expecting anything more than a brief respite from life, I imagine you will enjoy it as well.
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