Director: Jason Winer
Release Date: 22nd February 2011 (UK)
Director Jason Winer remakes 1981's original 'Arthur'. Arthur: a fun-loving, alcohol-loving, women-loving adult who acts like a child, carelessly wastes his mothers money from a large family business. After misbehaving once again, his mother, Vivienne decides he has taken it too far. Therefore, issues him with an ultimatum. Marry a dominant business-woman Susan or he will lose his family inheritance. However, Arthur falls for a unwealthy Brooklyn girl and is forced to decide between a lifetime supply of money, or real love.
Russell Brand portrays the British party animal. The similiarities between him and the characters are overplayed, however done so in a humerous way, he plays Arthur with quite a simple outlook on having money with many jokes. Helen Mirren plays the 'nanny' Hobson; their relationship is heart-warming,she believes and sides with him, unlike his mother. This relationship aided the film, as it was comedic but when she passes away later in the film it gives an emotional edge to this somewhat predictable film.
The film has many different aspects. It has some conventions from a love-story, where you see the start and blossoming of his and Naomi's relationship. For those comedy fans, it is predictable. Todorov's Theory of the Equilibrium comes into play, which is the predictable element where everything is happy then one bad things happen where Arthur has to fix it. This is a negative side to the narrative being influenced by romance.
Luckily, with the emotional relationship between Arthur and Hobson, as well as Brand's take on the character, the film gets the correct balance between all three genres. Pleasant to watch with humorousness makes it an enjoyable film to watch, if you can stand the 'predictableness'.
RATING: 6/10
