"First your father, then your horse...just when will my testicles ever get a rest?"
It is interesting that this remake of Arthur has been particularly poorly-received in America, the main reason possibly being the replacement of the original's forced and unconvincing kookiness with a consistent streak of melancholy which runs through the 2011 version. Winer's film is does have many funny lines, and if anything it would benefit from more instances of loosening up and running with the sheer abandon of Arthur's lifestyle and his lack of understanding of 'reality'. Brand is actually fine in the lead, more child-like and less alcoholic than Dudley Moore's portrayal. Making Hudson Arthur's female nanny is a very clever move, providing a necessarily different dynamic than Gielgud's more obvious formal butler, and Helen Mirren indeed delivers a couple of film-stealing speeches whilst never reaching the comedic heights of her 1981 counterpart. Greta Gerwig (so much more credible and charming than Liza Minnelli) uncannily channels Zooey Deschanel's Elf performance as Arthur's love-interest, and Jennifer Garner is surprisingly strong and nuanced as the arranged-fiancee Sarah. The deliberate placing of Arthur's Theme does provide a very sweet moment in this pleasant if slightly inessential remake, which nevertheless does manage to improve on the original overall.
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