Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

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

Steve Pulaski Every now and then actors with sizable names do something in the industry known as "slumming." This is a film with a significantly smaller budget that has well-known actors. This can often give actors range and prove to the public that they are capable of handling roles in smaller movies. Sometimes such an action can pay off. Look at Greg Kinnear in Little Miss Sunshine, Matt Damon in Gerry. Such roles can pay off immensely for actors and show diversity in character acting.And other times the film itself can be completely unnecessary and a very dull slog despite actors' good intentions. So is the case with Collin Firth, who gives a fairly strong performance but can't overcome the offbeat eccentricities and the rather lame fable on the American Dream of starting ones' life over. Material like this sounds good on paper and in our heads, as we can relate this back to the ideology of the American Dream and the pursuit of happiness, but rarely is the matter very compelling on camera. This especially is the case with Fith's Arthur Newman character being very vanilla and, despite unique efforts, rather ordinary.Firth's character's birthname is Wallace Avery, but he feels he was born inhabiting someone else's life. A golf professional, but still unsatisfied with life's offerings, he takes it upon himself to change his identity to that of "Arthur Newman." Soon after this decision is made, Arthur finds a barely-conscious woman outside named Charlotte Fitzgerald (Emily Blunt), traveling under the fictional name "Michaela" or "Mike." Arthur's timely actions of taking the woman to the hospital give her back her consciousness after an apparent overdose. When she comes back, Michaela and Wallace take a liking to each other and decide to embark on an impromptu roadtrip to Indiana, where they can live the more solemn life they've always wanted.Firth and Blunt are both gifted character actors, with Firth winning an Oscar for his beautiful portrayal of King George IV on The King's Speech and Blunt coming off several great comedies last year with the directing likes of Judd Apatow and Lynn Shelton. Their chemistry and breezy dialog exchanges are the faint, weakening glue holding the film together before it crumbles. Arthur Newman's serious problem is its redundant scenes of self-discovery and disregarding ones' personal life for the benefit of having a cleaner, fresher slate. This concept hooks better as just that - a concept that comes up over drinks, dinner, or a nice long walk down the street. Not a ninety-three minute film with the profound qualities of a pamphlet.Now, nearly every idea could make a great film, depending on the way a director, writer, actor, and cinematographer choose to handle the material. I have no doubt that Arthur Newman could've been a terrific film if taken with a fresher, more intriguing direction. The one present here gives every interesting event a "been-there-done-that" quality. Consider the scene when Arthur attempts to save the life of Michaela. This scene should be gripping and terrifying, but it winds up falling completely flat thanks to the flat direction taken by Dante Ariola.Arthur Newman is a wholesome parable at least in the regard that it tells the story with convincing performances and a touch of realism. However, this does not excuse the bland writing and extraordinarily brave premise made turned more into a pedestrian-piece of fiction. Seeing Firth go slumming could definitely be a great thing in the future, but he best choose to slum in places where there is a need for more than a willing actor.Starring: Colin Firth and Emily Blunt. Directed by: Dante Ariola.

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.

Desertman84 Arthur Newman is a comedy/drama that features Colin Firth, Emily Blunt and Anne Heche together with David Andrews,Sterling Beaumon,Kristin Lehman and Lucas Hedges.The screenplay is directed by Becky Johnson and it is directed by Dante Ariola.The movie tells the story of the not so glorious life of Wallace Avery, a middle aged man who hates his job, gets no respect from his family, wife and son, and sees no accomplishments for his long term hopes.Finally decided to end this charade, he gets hit by a new ideology: "If you don't have a life, get someone else's". Not willing to waste anymore precious time, he fakes his own death and assumes the identity of Arthur Newman, opening new opportunities and ready to start a new life.When he meets Michaela "Mike" Fitzgerald, whom Arthur discovers passed out poolside at a seedy roadside motel.Eventually,painful secrets unfold and new lives take shape as he is about to discover a new world and a new style of living on the edge, which however it seems to be somehow what he was looking for a very long time. Too bad that the film doesn't display any real interest in capturing and sustaining the viewer's interest, as it progresses at an unreasonably deliberate pace that's compounded by a narrative that's jam-packed with hackneyed elements and twists.Also,the viewer is subsequently forced to wait for something interesting or worthwhile to occur, and it goes without saying that the movie's ability to stave off total mediocrity is due primarily to Blunt and Firth's competent acting. The generic feel that's been hard-wired into virtually everything that transpires within as it grows more and more disheartening as time progresses, which does, as expected, prevent one from working up any interest in the characters' inevitable transformation into happier, more content figures.Added to that,there's a real lack of depth, as evidenced by a thin subplot about the burgeoning relationship between Arthur's grieving girlfriend and his son. It's a shame, really, as Arthur Newman could and should have been something good, instead of a disappointing waste of time both for those involved in its production and for those saddled with the task of watching it.