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 1981 PG / Comedy Romance Directed by: Starring: |
- The most fun money can buy
Summary Capsule
- The classic story of Money vs. Love gets drunk.
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Nancy's Rating: I think the hardest part of mutant reviewing is coming up with something witty for this section.
Nancy's Review: I don’t really know how to pinpoint cult movies. I’m not really with it when it comes to what people obsess over (and when it comes to everything). I figure out what I review in this way. If it is a random, unexpected movie that one of my friends LOVES for some unbeknownst reason, then that’s what I like to review. When I love Army Of Darkness, it’s less of a cult movie and more of… of course I love Army Of Darkness. That makes so much sense. I don’t even bother reviewing it. Couldn’t you, like, guess that I love Army Of Darkness? It’s not a tricky inference to make.
So I eventually said hey, my buddy likes it, I could go for a kooky romp with a loveable drunk today. Now, I’m sure you’re used to be teenage girl sentiment by now, so I’m just gonna go ahead and go absolutely estrogen-wild over the lovely, lovely, LOVELY little love story that’s wrapped up in alcohol and sealed with a kiss.
The plot is more than my friend ever lead on. I’ll assume he played a drinking game while watching it and drank whenever Arthur drank. And he missed out on the whooole romantic side of the film. That’s really the only thing that would explain him not telling ME, NANCY (!), that Arthur falls in love with A FUNNY POOR GIRL who lives with her dad and WORKS AT A DINER and is played by LIZA MINELLI who believes that LIFE IS A CABARET OLD CHUM!
Certain key words tell me that a movie will be good. You can probably guess what they are.
But, despite how much I love Liza (Bumper sticker? Anyone?) the real shine in this movie is Arthur. Dudley Moore displays some real casual humor here, and that’s my favorite. The kind where he’s just talking and he’s not even aware he’s being absolutely hilarious. If I may quote the quote section “She stole a tie! Girls don’t wear ties! It’s the perfect crime! Well, some girls wear ties, it’s not the perfect crime, but it’s a great crime!” Just the way he talks, to himself, to others, or when he’s being drunk, loud and hilarious, it’s fantastic. He’s got a real unique wit that’s hard to pinpoint. He falls for Liza Minelli’s tough girl from the streets with quick wit and heart-o-gold humor, but I can’t seem to find an appropriate label for Arthur’s wit. He’s happy, he’s sincere, he’s funny, he's in love, and often drunk. Combine the four and that explains the laughs that are coming out of your mouth. That’s the best I can say.
I really haven’t fully described the plot either. You get so caught up in the ‘haha, he’s drunk’ storyline that you forget the plot where that drunkenness falls. Now I understand why my friend never told me about Liza. I haven’t even told you guys about Susan or Hobsen yet. Here goes. Arthur = drunk & veeeery rich (I almost said ‘wicked’ instead of ‘very’ but I’m consciously trying to cut down before I move to Maine, where as soon as I say ‘wicked’, everyone will give me a dirty look and say ‘You are SO from Western Mass‘ Anyway. Tangent over). Arthur has to marry Stupid Girl (AKA Susan) in order to keep his inheritance coming. He totally does not love Stupid Girl, Stupid Girl is pretty lame. One day he’s out shopping and he runs into Linda, who totally kicks ass and he loves a whole whole lot. They start dating. He’s still gotta get engaged. What’s a rich drunk to do?!?! Rent Arthur today and find out!
I noticed that in a lot of my reviews, when I can’t think of anything to say, I just default into that voice on commercials and I say “RENT IT TODAY!”
Moving on to Hobsen. Hobsen is another highlight. Hobsen is Arthur dry, sarcastic and bitter butler who, under it all, loves Arthur very much. I adore this relationship, the ‘I make fun of him but under it all I care for him extremely’ relationship. I often don’t have much faith in couples, friends or mentors unless they constantly mock their lover, buddy or protégé. I think contempt is usual a sign of real love, real caring, so much that sometimes you have to slap them in the face or call them ugly. If two people are very fond of each other and constantly show it in casual nice actions, not only is it annoying, it just seems not real. I don’t know how it works, but meanness is a part of love. And Hobsen loves Arthur very much, it is very clear. He just won’t stop mocking his spoiled little ways. That’s just not how Hobsen rolls.
This movie ended the melancholia-kick I’ve been on lately since Lost In Translation, and brightened my mood, making me believe in life and love and sarcasm all over again. I actually went out and bought this movie before I finished watching it. I knew I wanted this funny, weird movie to be part of my collection. It just seems like an odd pick. “What are your favorite movies?” “Oh, I like Garden State, I Heart Huckabees, and Arthur.” “Arthur?” “Yeah, he’s drunk, it’s great”. I figure if I say that enough, sooner or later someone will be in the movie rental store and say “Hey, I think drunk people are kinda funny, I’ll give it a whirl” and discover for themselves all the love, wonder and morals that lie inside this tale of vices.
 The moose is not amused.
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- Everything Arthur says? Betcha didn’t. Better rewatch it, cause it’s all great.
- Sometimes the position of Arthur’s top hat changes.
- How bland and blagh Linda is.
- Arthur grandmother? Anyone?
- The final moral at the end of the story is a little misleading. Is money good? Is money bad? I know love is good…I got that much…
Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?
I… didn’t, but in this day-and-age, with DVDs and all that, might as well.
Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]
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Bud Cort almost played Arthur. That’s weird.
Dudley Moore said he based his character off of Peter Cook, whose excessive drinking turned their dynamic comedic duo sour.
John Gielgud, who played Hobsen, turned down the role several times but finally took it because the salary was too good, furthering the basic moral of the story - lots of money is a good thing to have.
Groovy Quotes
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Susan: Arthur, take my hand.
Arthur: But that would only leave you with one!
Arthur: Girls, girls, girls! I love girls!
Hobson: Normally, someone would have to go to a bowling alley to meet someone of your stature.
Arthur: Do you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to take a bath.
Hobson: I'll alert the media.
Arthur: Do you want to run my bath for me?
Hobson: It's what I live for.
Hobson: Good afternoon. If you and your undershirt will take two paces backwards, I could enter this dwelling.
[after Linda Marolla stole a necktie from a store]
Hobson: Arthur, I see no reason for prolonging this conversation, unless you plan on knocking over a fruit-stand later this afternoon. (To Linda) Good luck in prison.
[pointing at a mounted moose on the wall]
Arthur: Where's the rest of this moose?
[points to the moose again]
Arthur: You must've hated this moose.
Arthur: I've never taken care of anyone. But if you got sick, I'd take care of you.
Linda: Then I'll get sick.
Arthur Bach: Not all of us who drink are poets. Some of us drink because we're not poets.
Arthur: Isn't this fun? Isn't fun the best thing to have? Don't you wish you were me? I know I do.
Arthur: [He just starts laughing] Sometimes I just think funny stuff.
Arthur: [to Stupid Girl] Do you have any objection to naming a child Vladimir, even if its a girl?
Hobson: Poor people are not loved, Arthur. They urinate in public and have very few teeth.
Arthur: Have you ever been on a yacht?
Linda: No, is it wonderful?
Arthur: It doesn't suck.
[in a department store, Arthur and Hobson see Linda putting a tie in her bag]
Arthur Bach: Hobson, did you see that?
Hobson: [wearily] Yes.
Arthur Bach: That girl just stole a tie!
Hobson: Yes.
Arthur Bach: Girls don't wear ties! It's the perfect crime! All right, some girls wear ties, it's not the perfect crime but it's a pretty good crime!
Hobson: Yes, if she murdered the tie it would be the perfect crime.
Arthur: He's taking the knife out of the cheese! Do you think he wants some cheese?
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This review page was last updated on 6.20.06
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