Meus Dias Incríveis

This road movie, featuring solid performances from its main players, doesn't seem to know where it's going. While "Arthur Newman" presents many quirky or compelling tableaux, I was rather frustrated by the filmmaker's (Dante Ariola) detours and dead ends. Or perhaps it was writer Becky Johnston's tepid story that ran out of fuel.

Frankly, I didn't care one way or another if the main characters ever resolved their respective conflicts, and after the first thirty minutes I felt like I was simply watching the same scene over and over again, like an endless roundabout. I was so uninvolved in the relationship(s) that it felt like nothing of any real substance was truly at stake or on the line.

This film tells the story of a failed professional golfer, who abandons his life and family to assume an alternate identity in order to start a new life.

The premise of the story could have been very interesting, as the title character faces a midlife crisis. It is a situation that quite a few people can identify with, and hence it could have been an engaging story. However, things go wrong because the film takes a ridiculous turn. A kleptomaniac drug addict comes a long and they have sex in other people's houses. Just what is the point of the story? It is not even entertaining or engaging. The only thing that impressed me was Emily Blunt's ability to mimic various accents. Other than that, "Arthur Newman" is quite a disappointing film.

"So you just ditched Wallace Avery for a total strangers half baked promise?" Wallace Avery (Firth) is a divorced man who hates his job and his life. Wanting to start fresh he decides to stage his own death and head to Indiana to become a golf teacher. Changing his name to Arthur Newman he is on his way when he meets a woman named Mike (Blunt). Both on the run from their own lives the begin to assume other people's identities but memories of their old lives begin to creep back up. This movie first and foremost has great acting and is very interesting and worth watching. On the other hand though it is a little slow in parts and seems repetitive. This is a movie of fiction but has the feel of a true story. I do recommend this movie but it isn't really a movie you can watch over and over because it is pretty depressing. It's hard to talk about this movie with out giving anything away and it really is a pretty good movie but don't expect a happy movie. Overall, a good movie with great acting that is worth watching but be prepared. I give it a B.

This is a fun couple, even if what they do isn't always quite legal. In fact, the more illegal, the more fun their adventures are.

Emily Blunt does an amazing job here. Mike goes through so many changes, starting out as goth and insane when we first meet her, then pretty but somewhat unbalanced, then quite likable. She does impressions of the people she pretends to be, and does them so well. Sometimes she can be normal, and sometimes she is going off the deep end. And then there are the really sad moments. And she looks good in her underwear.

Colin Firth is a different matter. I couldn't imagine Arthur being someone I would actually like, and yet eventually he comes across as the voice of reason and basically carries the movie, while his wacky "girlfriend" provides comic relief or shows a vulnerable side. When he is needed Arthur is very helpful, and eventually he doesn't seem like the loser Wallace was, but is quite convincing as if he is established in a career and confident of who he is.

Anne Heche does okay and is somewhat likable. What I like best about her was her beautiful long hair. When I first learned who she was she had very short hair.

Lukas Hedges is likable enough as the son, but he doesn't seem all that concerned about his father, and if anything, he seems inappropriately close to Wallace's girlfriend. Not enough is done to develop his character and we don't even hear much from the boy's family.

We see a lot of nice scenery on this road trip, and I don't know where it all is, but North Carolina was mentioned a lot in the credits, and that's where I live. One sign on the interstate was obviously on I-95 because it showed towns I knew about, though I've never been on that stretch of highway. There was a great looking bridge at the beach which didn't get nearly enough screen time, and we didn't really get a good look at it.

Eventually, important lessons are learned, and maybe we have a happy ending. I don't think it's quite what I was hoping for but it satisfies.

Overall, I had a pretty good time.

"Arthur Newman" has two promising threads - how a man can disappear and take on a new identity, and how quirky can the behaviour of a borderline crazy young woman be? In the course of the film the first, potentially interesting theme is derailed by the second. In his flight from his boring and disappointing old life, the hero takes up with the stray girl who involves him with assorted wacky escapades. Unfortunately as none of the latter is particularly interesting, the film ends with nothing of substance except sentimentality. It's awfully slow, and moments of interest are too few. Regrettably Colin Firth is all too good at depicting boring average men, which stands in the way of audience engagement. Emily Blunt doesn't invoke too much sympathy either, as it's hard to see any attractive qualities in her character beyond looks. So the film, as indeed the story in it, seems much ado about nothing. It's same-y and featureless, like the successive motel rooms they inhabit. Somehow it needs a wit and charisma transplant, but maybe I just feel that because I dislike sentimentality!