Movie review - "Arthur" (2011) **

They tried and I can't understand the rationale behind every decision but it doesn't work - Russell Brand's drinking is darker and less charming than Dudley Moores (there are an awful lot of scenes of him running around in his underwear as if to establish his sex symbol status), Helen Mirren's casting as the butler doesn't feel right, the relationship with Arthur's real mother is undeveloped, Greta Gerwig's mumble core charm feels all wrong, Hollywood screenwriters really should try to come up with someone having a dream other than wanting to write, Jennifer Garner tries gamely but is miscast, it lacks charm, and Brand's character is a genuine dope not really deserving of all this money. The film probably would have been better being more specifically tailored to Brand. There are some funny lines.