Arthur Newman

Arthur Newman (2012)

Though the whole enterprise is built on a huge and somewhat false contrivance (a man taking on a new identity and picking up a troubled woman along the way who also is playing games with her identity), it all works better than you might think. And it's largely because of Colin Firth and Emily Blunt, both strong and understated leads. Blunt in particular has qualities that are interesting without merely being "star" material. Firth, of course, is a mega-star and he's playing his quiet man with familiarity here.

The director Dante Ariola is only on his second film and the writer is on his first (after a few screenplays based on other people's stories). And I guess it shows in many little ways, including a script that doesn't seem believable at times. Then at other times it's believable but not that interesting. What keeps it floating through these waves is a sense of pace and ease with the two actors, who of course are seasoned and respected stars.

This is both a downer movie with two unhappy leads trying to survive their lives and a feel-good movie about people who find something in each other to survive. It's not quite a romance that develops (it's not "Leaving Las Vegas"), but there is a kind of loving co-dependence. It's meant to be deeper and more moving than it is— mostly a issue of the writing again—but you get the drift and it works overall.

In the end, at the end, you wish so much it had been more than it was. It has so many interesting qualities that don't get pulled out—the surprising convergence in the plot, the game of taking on identities, the psychological depth of being who you are and accepting that—I felt let down by what did happen. The solutions are a bit obvious and almost cheap, depending on formulas seen before. Which is too bad because the set-up and the actors are worth more than that.

I can see why Colin Firth would be attracted to the role of a depressed American, but really, the script wasn't up to his level.

Firth and Emily Blunt star in "Arthur Newman," a 2012 film directed by Dante Ariola. Wallace Avery (Firth) is unhappy at his job as a floor manager. He's divorced, has a girlfriend (Anne Heche), and a young son who hates him. An excellent golfer, he didn't make it as a pro because of nerves. However, he helped a man with his slice, and as a result, has been offered the job of golf pro at a club in Terre Haute, Indiana. He fakes his death and takes off.

Along the way, he helps a young woman (Blunt) by taking her to the hospital. When she's better, she goes with him. Eventually, they become lovers. He finds out she's using a fake identity as well, running from a twin sister who is schizophrenic and may need her.

The two of them start to break into people's houses and take on their identities and make love in their beds.

This is a pretty boring, slow movie enlivened by the performances of the two leads. Along the way we learn something about the characters, but not enough to become truly invested in them. We just know they're miserable. We know Wallace's son hates him because he wasn't there for him, but we don't know why or what went on between them, or what happened with his ex-wife, and why his girlfriend is discontented.

It's sad because this could have been an amazing movie. It's about two people that learn what they love about each other and their value to those left behind. But it doesn't go into these facets deeply enough.

Both Firth and Blunt are excellent, trying to flesh out what's there. In the end, I was sympathetic to the characters but not really involved with them. It was sort of like giving street directions to two strangers and then wishing them luck.

"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!

Failed golfer Wallace Avery (Colin Firth) is running away from his life. He fakes his own death and drives under false ID Arthur Newman cross-country to start a new golf pro job. He finds a woman struggling on a patio chair at his motel. He takes her to the hospital suffering from a cough medicine overdose. Her ID says Michaela Fitzgerald (Emily Blunt) but she is also faking it with her twin sister's ID. Her name is actually Charlotte. As the two of them get closer, they are pursued by his girlfriend Mina Crawley (Anne Heche) and his estranged son Kevin.

The mystery of their pasts is compelling for a little while but at some point, it has to be compelling on its own. Their lives aren't that interesting. The two great leads bring something into these damaged roles but it's barely compelling. I question their reasonableness but their characters are not that reasonable. The less compelling part is the B-story with the girlfriend and son. I somewhat care about the leads but not so much with the supporting characters. It adds up to something just below pass.

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.