One hurdle remakes often have to overcome is they get negative press before production even begins, solely because people just don't want to see their beloved original messed with. It's understandable when you consider how many remakes have been better, or even as good, as their predecessors. Russell Brand clearly knows this all too well, for right after the film was released he said should people not like what they do with Arthur, they can just watch the original instead. But is there a need to?
Arthur is of course based on the Dudley Moore film about a child-like billionaire heir who does what he wants, when he wants, all in the name of fun. The original was the film that catapulted Moore into Hollywood proper and along with Get Him To The Greek, this is attempting to do the same for Brand. Arthur Bach lives in an incredible penthouse in a Manhattan skyscraper, with endless amounts of cash at his disposal and a loyal nanny Hobson (Helen Mirren) at his side taking care of him in lieu of his actual mother, who runs the family corporation. Fed up of his constant escapades damaging the family name, Arthur's mother arranges a marriage between him and stuck up businesswoman Susan (Jennifer Garner), with the alternative being he would give up all his money. Of course, being practically a child with no concept of business or such like, Arthur doesn’t take to the idea of arranged business marriage well and gets swept off his feet by a girl from the ‘real world’.
The set up allows for the first half of the film to be filled with scenes of Arthur acting debauched, spending money and generally living it up. If you're not a Russell Brand fan, this is definitely not the film for you because in no way does he tone it down for the screen. Personally I think he is funny, however the script does him no favours. We get to see plenty of him acting 'crazy' and aloof, but the wit he's known for isn't really there. He is likeable though, which is good as he's in almost every scene of the film and doesn't stop talking for the entire two hours. He does his best with the script but at times you think even he knows that he’s reading from the book of cliché. As an actor though, you can see him progressing though from previous work so I don’t think he’s going anywhere just yet. The billionaire setup allows for lots of nice set pieces - the settings all look great – and movie fans will certainly get a kick out of seeing some particular film vehicles crop up throughout the movie (which is exactly what I’d do if I was a billionaire).
The rest of the cast are generally impressive too, with Helen Mirren bringing a level of talent and gravitas that you certainly wouldn't expect in a film like this. Her scenes with Brand, whilst generally just banter-filled, actually take a turn for the touching and she was absolutely spot-on casting, and probably the highlight of the film for me. Jennifer Garner is good too as the motivated, cold businesswoman Susan, although her father (Nick Nolte) is an almost parody character. As the 'poor girl' Naomi whom Arthur falls for, Greta Gerwig is a real misstep, being neither likeable nor engaging enough for us to actually think Arthur would give up everything to be with her. And this, in turn, is the main problem I had with the film. It's enjoyable and fun whenever it's not focusing on his relationship with Naomi - all their scenes are simply littered with cheesy lines and clichéd ideas (they take a walk in central park at night!) and there is zero chemistry between them. If ever a role was crying out for Emma Stone or Kat Dennings, this was it.
Overall, I enjoyed Arthur despite the cheese that surrounded his romance. The main players are all very game and, whilst it is a little long, it contains enough plot turns and the odd surprise that will keep you interested. Going in I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I found it to be fun, relatively light and doesn’t go overboard with trying to hammer a message down the throat of the audience. It’s nothing remarkable, but Brand is a good leading man (at least here) and if you’re a fan, you’ll probably love it. If you don’t like him……well I heard Scream 4 is good.
