Arthur Newman
Arthur Newman
R | 26 April 2013 (USA)
Arthur Newman Trailers

A story of a man who fakes his own death and assumes a new identity in order to escape his life, who then moves in with a woman who is also trying to leave her past behind.

Reviews
leonblackwood

Review: I found this storyline to be weak and a bit silly. If your going to fake your own death, surely your going to change the way you look and try and keep undercover. Anyway, the director really didn't think the whole storyline through and the acting, from these 2 A-listers, wasn't that terrific. The way that Colin Firth's character thoroughly planned his own death to become a golf pro, ditching his son in the process, was a recipe for disaster right from the beginning and when Blunts character was added to the mix, it just made things worse. The love story was predictable and the ending was very sketchy. Basically the director left it up to the audience to make up there own mind about Firth's character returning to reality, which could have been written much better. Anyway, I did loose interest halfway through the movie and I struggled to keep my eyes open. Disappointing! Round-Up: Colin Firth's career really does have it's up and downs. After winning the Oscar for The King's Speech, which he did deserve, and starring in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, he hasn't really starred in any major roles. With the release of Before I Go To Sleep coming out soon, maybe this will bring him back to the limelight. Emily Blunt seems to act the same in all of her movies, but she has been cast in some big budget blockbusters. From The Devil Wears Prada to the Edge Of Tomorrow, I doubt that this low budget movie will damage her career. As the movie is based around these 2 characters, there isn't that much to say about the rest of the cast, but I was expecting something better from these 2 major stars. Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $208,000 (Terrible!)I recommend this movie to people who are into there dramas about a man faking his own death to work in a gold club. 3/10

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adi_2002

Wallace is sick of his life, the fact that the relation with his son is a bad one, his love life is a mess and decides to assume another identity, the one of Arthur Newman and decides to go Terre Haute Indiana where he is convinced that a good career as a professional golf played waits him. On the sun bed of the motel where she is checked in he sees a mysterious stranger, a girl who likes to be called Mike. He takes her to a hospital and rescues her from the degrading situation in witch she was when he find her. Now Mike wants to accompany him in his trip but little that she knows that he is not the only one who has one identity and she has a secret of her own. Yes, Arthur nothing because nothing interesting happens in this movie besides the wasted talents of three good actors Colin Firth, Anne Heche and Emily Blunt. I wonder what they where thinking when they read the scrip or that they really read it in fact. It's slow with long and boring sequences, some gestures of tenderness between the main characters but nothing serious. Don't waste your time with this one. It's the kind of movie that demonstrates that even if they are included some important names of cinema, doesn't really mean that the picture is good.

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secondtake

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.

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Tony Heck

"So you just ditched Wallace Avery for a total strangers half baked promise?" Wallace Avery (Firth) is a divorced man who hates his job and his life. Wanting to start fresh he decides to stage his own death and head to Indiana to become a golf teacher. Changing his name to Arthur Newman he is on his way when he meets a woman named Mike (Blunt). Both on the run from their own lives the begin to assume other people's identities but memories of their old lives begin to creep back up. This movie first and foremost has great acting and is very interesting and worth watching. On the other hand though it is a little slow in parts and seems repetitive. This is a movie of fiction but has the feel of a true story. I do recommend this movie but it isn't really a movie you can watch over and over because it is pretty depressing. It's hard to talk about this movie with out giving anything away and it really is a pretty good movie but don't expect a happy movie. Overall, a good movie with great acting that is worth watching but be prepared. I give it a B.

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