Arthur Review
By David Kempler
The Best That They Can Do
In 1981, Dudley Moore, Liza Minelli, and Sir John Gielgud, starred in "Arthur", the tale of the loveable, and fabulously wealthy drunk who is willing to give up his riches for a woman of limited means. True love can triumph over cash. Moore and Gielgud had enough screen presence to pull this unlikely situation off. Liza's character never seemed real or deep enough to make it believable.
In 2011, "Arthur" has been dusted off, with Russell Brand subbing for the departed Moore, Helen Mirren taking on the Gielgud role, and relative newcomer Greta Gerwig playing Liza. It took me a bit of time to get used to Brand's brand of humor here. He's a louder and slightly more obnoxious version of Dudley. When he is finally allowed to tone it down, he settles in comfortably and makes us secure with the substitution. Mirren for Gielgud is a fair trade. Gerwig had to be better than Liza and she is. Jennifer Garner is here, too, but her scenes are way below memorable.
If you don't know the story, it's pretty unremarkable. A fabulously wealthy, obnoxious, spoiled drunkard is causing grief to his snooty mother, who is only concerned that her son's antics may drive down the worth of the company she steers. The solution is to marry him off to someone who can control him and put her investor's fears to rest. The drunk meets a
real girl, and finally understands the true meaning of life and love. The battle between good and evil is under way. Not for one second is the outcome in doubt, and that's fine. The key is in the execution and it's effective, if uninspiring.
Directed by Jason Winer, best known for the television show, "Modern Family", "Arthur" hits all of its marks but never takes off. That is to say, it is every bit as good as the original. I've always felt that the original was an insanely overrated piece. If you like Dudley's version, you'll probably like this one, too. If you never saw Dudley's drunk, Russell's drunk may seem like an amusing diversion. It's difficult to imagine hating any of this, so if someone wants to go with you, you could do worse. You'll get a couple of good laughs, but no depth or lasting feelings of wonder. Have a drink and give it a shot.
