Arthur

Director: Jason Winer
Writer: Peter Banyham
Starring: Russell Brand, Helen Mirren
Release Date: April 8, 2011
Length: 1 hour 50 minutes

Hot Comedian Russell Brand has just been gaining steam in his career with last year’s hilarious comedy Get Him To The Greek and supporting roles in Julie Taymor’s The Tempest and one of the best family films of the year, Despicable Me. Unfortunately his fame is bound to lead him to an unavoidable failure. In a remake of the 1981 comedy, Arthur, Brand hits his first speed bump. Arthur Bach is a British childish playboy set to inherit $950 million from his rich mother only if he marries the unendurable Susan Johnson (Jennifer Garner) to create a business partnership between his mother and Susan. For his whole life, Arthur has relied on his nanny Hobson (Helen Mirren) for everything, including escorting his one night stands out in the morning. Arthur would prefer to marry anyone but Susan, but when he falls in love with Brooklyn tour guide Naomi, he must figure out a way to get out of his marriage with out being cut off by his mother. It’s usually not the case that any remakes, let alone remakes of comedies go over well but Arthur truly proves it. It’s perfectly clear that this film was only made as a vehicle for Brand’s rising career, seeing that he fits perfectly into the role that was done thirty years ago by Dudley Moore. There is no way that there is any other reason this film would have been made if not for that slight connection. Screenwriter Peter Banyham (Borat) ends up creating an overdramatic romantic film that tries to be funny but almost never succeeds within the script. Arthur hits all the clichés as far as romcoms go, with the romance between Naomi and Brand and all the clichés of Brand’s derivative playboy persona, getting drunk all the time or having girls he doesn’t know leaving in the morning. In a cheesy comedy like this, there is a dramatic part at the end when they have to overcome their immaturity or sleaziness for someone they are close to and resolve the issue. Arthur is one of those films that have at least five of those serious plot turns . There is one after another that just cause me to question whether this is still even a comedy. It seems that about halfway through the film, Arthur’s life just keeps getting worse with more obstacles to find happiness. The romance between Naomi and Arthur is at first very cute, but eventually becomes repetitive and dull. You can see all of Brand’s best efforts as a comedian and improvisational actor to make this unfunny film better than it’s worth but he cannot even hide the banality of this movie from the audience.  You can also tell that every actor in this film is fantastic, but is unfortunately given terrible material with this film. The three talented actresses Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner and Greta Gerwig truly deserve so much better than Arthur and so does the audience. The only times you might laugh during this film are during Brand’s clear moments of improv or an odd one-liner here or there. Go right ahead and spend your money elsewhere.