← Back to Reviews
in
Arthur (1981)
Arthur (1981)
Director: Steve Gordon
Writer: Steve Gordon
Cast: Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Multi-millionaire Arthur (Dudley Moore) is single and going nowhere in life. He spends his days in a drunken stupor telling bad jokes and spending money like there's no tomorrow. His only friend is his butler (John Gielgud).
The problem is Arthur's family has had enough of his drunken shenanigans and has given an ultimatum to him...shape up and marry Susan, who's from a rich family...or be cut off from his inheritance. Arthur wisely decides to marry Susan, who he doesn't love, but then he runs into a harebrained waitress (Liza Minnelli) and falls in love with her.
This was funny! But oddly enough the parts that were suppose to be funny: a drunken Arthur falling all over the place, wasn't all that humorous. What was funny, in a special way was John Gielgud as the smug butler who actually cares for Arthur like a father would. I thought John Gielgud as Hobson the butler, was outright amazing in this, and made the film!
Don't get me wrong I really liked Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli both were spot on and when not drunk I liked Dudley Moore's character. And who knew Liza was so good at comedy?
I thought the very ending with Arthur getting drunk after a month of being sober and then falling all over the wedding party, was a very weak way to end it. I read that the film's ending was in question and they shot a different ending that focused on Arthur and the wedding. I would have preferred the ending to focus on Arthur and Hobson.
Writer: Steve Gordon
Cast: Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Multi-millionaire Arthur (Dudley Moore) is single and going nowhere in life. He spends his days in a drunken stupor telling bad jokes and spending money like there's no tomorrow. His only friend is his butler (John Gielgud).
The problem is Arthur's family has had enough of his drunken shenanigans and has given an ultimatum to him...shape up and marry Susan, who's from a rich family...or be cut off from his inheritance. Arthur wisely decides to marry Susan, who he doesn't love, but then he runs into a harebrained waitress (Liza Minnelli) and falls in love with her.
This was funny! But oddly enough the parts that were suppose to be funny: a drunken Arthur falling all over the place, wasn't all that humorous. What was funny, in a special way was John Gielgud as the smug butler who actually cares for Arthur like a father would. I thought John Gielgud as Hobson the butler, was outright amazing in this, and made the film!
Don't get me wrong I really liked Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli both were spot on and when not drunk I liked Dudley Moore's character. And who knew Liza was so good at comedy?
I thought the very ending with Arthur getting drunk after a month of being sober and then falling all over the wedding party, was a very weak way to end it. I read that the film's ending was in question and they shot a different ending that focused on Arthur and the wedding. I would have preferred the ending to focus on Arthur and Hobson.