Arthur And Mike, film review: Colin Firth and Emily Blunt are strangely cast as two lost souls
(15) Dante Ariola, 93 mins Starring: Colin Firth, Emily Blunt, Anne Heche
Two years old now, and released in the US as Arthur Newman, this very offbeat, melancholic romance/road movie arrives in the UK without any of the fanfare that would normally greet a film starring Colin Firth and Emily Blunt.
They are strangely cast. Firth is a long way from The King's Speech as a middle-aged, Florida-based former golf professional who fakes his own death, Reggie Perrin-style, and assumes a new identity. Blunt is Charlotte, a disturbed young woman he meets en route to Indiana, where a wealthy businessman has promised him a job as a golf professional.
In its depiction of two lost souls confronting their demons, the film has moments of pathos and tenderness. Firth has a crumpled dignity as the Rabbit Angstrom-like American everyman, down on his luck. It is hard, though, to work out why two British stars were cast in such quintessentially American roles.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies