I cannot wait for this movie – which arrives in theaters on August 8th. A young, untrained chef from India and his family set up a competing restaurant directly across the street from one of France’s great chefs (Helen Mirren). The story that unfolds is both beautiful AND full of flavor!
To help get you ready for the movie, enjoy this delicious potato recipe (diet be damned!).
And while you are waiting for this to cook, enjoy the official trailer, which you can find at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv1JSQJKRXs
I know for a lot of you, this movie hasn’t even been a blip on your radar. It doesn’t ooze Oscar; it doesn’t tackle deep social issues; and the original Arthur probably is a movie you saw, barely remember, but it might have been “cute”.
For me, Arthur was THE romantic comedy. I saw it for the first time in the summer of 1981, and fell immediately in love with the movie, the characters, and even the whole, previously unknown to me genre. It rests comfortably today on my top ten favorite movies list, and there are lines in the movie I still recite whenever appropriate – or sometimes, when I just need to put a smile on my face (the line, “Do you think he wants some cheese?” is an immediate smile grabber for me – I use that one often).
So, with a movie so etched on my brain, the thought of a remake made me nauseous. Who could replace Dudley Moore as the childlike millionaire and do him justice? And Sir John Gielgud lives on in my mind as the quintessential “Hobson” – part butler, part father, part friend. Honestly, I have not been looking forward to this 2011 Arthur – until now.
I saw the trailer this morning, and smiled all the way through. It is certainly updated for today, but I feel the Russell Brand Arthur looks like it stays true to the Dudley Moore character. And the choice of Helen Mirren as Hobson – looks like it was a brilliant move.
