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The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

Careless Love

Sidestepping a more extreme take on prostitution, this is a quietly impressive portrait of a young woman caught in a tragic situation.

Empire Of Silver

Its backdrop is a rich and fascinating one, but the film is let down by a screenplay and direction that fails to register on a personal level.

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Arthur (Film)

by Kasey Simpson | April 20, 2011 17:11 | Edited April 20, 2011 17:26

A light-hearted but enjoyable remake thanks largely to Russell Brand's charismatic and larger-than-life onscreen persona.

While other actors may fear they're being typecast, Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek) once again tackles the role of a rambunctious, rampaging intoxicated fellow in Arthur. Brand plays the lead role in Jason Winer's remake of the 1981 film starring Dudley Moore. Boosted by an all-star cast, the updated screenplay was penned by Peter Baynham (Borat).

 

Arthur (Brand) is an English trust fund baby whose $250 million inheritance is threatened due to a lifetime of drunken shenanigans. His mother (Geraldine James) gives Arthur an ultimatum - marry Susan (Jennifer Garner), a trusted member of their family organisation and notorious ball breaker, or lose the inheritance. Arthur, however, finds his perfect match with Naomi (Greta Gerwig) and as she opens his eyes to the simpler things in life (including canned spaghetti), Arthur has to choose between a life of money or happiness.

 

Strutting up and down the streets of New York in President Lincoln's Inauguration attire, Brand delivers a hilariously irresistible and unique performance. His constant quips ("I am a grown man and I shall get a job to prove it") and larger than life persona bursts from the screen.

 

Arthur shares a touching relationship with his nanny Hobson, played by Helen Mirren. "Like Mary Poppins with menopause," Hobson is Arthur's full time supervisor and Mirren invests a warmth into her portrayal of the classical English Nanny archetype. Both Brand's love interests bode well also. Garner is sassy and Gerwig (who is emerging as a real star after turns in Greenberg and No Strings Attached) holds her own against Brand, always ensuring her sweet and quirky character remains relatable.

 

While Arthur received a critical panning when it opened recently in the United States, it's not all bad news. Admittedly, the film's occasionally clichéd, but this contemporary take on the hit original is a light-hearted romp that has just the right measure of laughs, charm and nostalgic pangs. Sure it's predictable, but it hits all the right buttons for an enjoyable romantic comedy and Russell Brand's rhythmic, hilarious interpretation of Arthur should have audiences giggling throughout.