A&E

Film review: ‘Arthur Newman’

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Colin Firth stars as the titular character in Arthur Newman.

The Details

Arthur Newman
Two stars
Colin Firth, Emily Blunt, Anne Heche
Directed by Dante Ariola
Rated R. Opens Friday
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IMDb: Arthur Newman
Rotten Tomatoes: Arthur Newman

Colin Firth plays the title character in Arthur Newman, but he’s not actually Arthur Newman: He’s Wallace Avery, a disaffected middle manager who decides to fake his own death and start over as a golf pro in Terre Haute, Indiana (yes, this is his idea of a dream existence). On the way to his new life, he meets Mike (Emily Blunt), another damaged soul who’s not really the person she says she is. Arthur and Mike are thinly drawn characters with even thinner motivations, and their story is a slow, lethargic journey to nowhere, full of pseudo-profound dialogue and generic indie-drama plotting. Firth and Blunt are both strong actors, but they have little to work with here, and their wide age difference makes their romance a little uncomfortable. As Wallace attempts to become Arthur, he learns what’s truly important in life, but it’s hard to care about his discovery when the results are so banal.

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