It's in the middle of the Depression and sad sack Arthur is a traveling sheet music salesman. He dreams of the love and happiness he finds in the songs, and he longs for his wife to give him love and sex. Arthur and the other characters break into lip synching popular songs of the period to illustrate their feelings. He meets a repressed but adventurous school teacher, and depression really sets in for the viewer.
The movie is based on the strange and wonderful Dennis Potter BBC television show from 1978 (which I'm in the process of watching). In the Herbert Ross version, Steve Martin plays Arthur, Bernadette Peters the school marm and Jessica Walters the wife.
The movie has some great moments, but for me those moments are all wrapped up in the big production numbers. These are elaborate song productions with the stars dancing and lip synching. The numbers are huge Busby Berkeley fantasies in vivid color with lavish sets and costumes. And they completely overwhelm what interest there might be in the sad little story of Arthur. That's only part of the problem. At this point in his movie career, I don't think Martin had the skill or the confidence to portray yearning (as he did excellently in Roxanne). That lack of sympathy for Arthur really undercuts the story. I can't help but contrast his performance with Bob Hoskins in the original BBC production. Hoskins is so instantly likable that he automatically gives greater depth to the role.
But, ah, the musical numbers. They're great. Vernel Bagneris does a terrific shuffling dance in the rain to Pennies from Heaven. Christopher Walkin is a wonder as a sleazy pimp doing a strip and tap routine while lip synching to Let's Misbehave. And the dance number in the bank with Martin and, I think, an actor named Jay Garner, is a lot of fun. Garner plays a fat, complacent, middle aged banker who turns Martin down for a loan...but then in Arthur's fantasy they break into lip sync song and dance while the banker showers Arthur with money. Garner nearly steals the scene.
Martin must have really wanted to do this movie; it shows in the terrific dance routines he handles with skill and enthusiasm. The movie itself, for me, just doesn't come off. If you like big Hollywood productions numbers, though, get the disc and fast forward to them. That's what I've done after the first time I saw the movie on VHS.
The movie is based on the strange and wonderful Dennis Potter BBC television show from 1978 (which I'm in the process of watching). In the Herbert Ross version, Steve Martin plays Arthur, Bernadette Peters the school marm and Jessica Walters the wife.
The movie has some great moments, but for me those moments are all wrapped up in the big production numbers. These are elaborate song productions with the stars dancing and lip synching. The numbers are huge Busby Berkeley fantasies in vivid color with lavish sets and costumes. And they completely overwhelm what interest there might be in the sad little story of Arthur. That's only part of the problem. At this point in his movie career, I don't think Martin had the skill or the confidence to portray yearning (as he did excellently in Roxanne). That lack of sympathy for Arthur really undercuts the story. I can't help but contrast his performance with Bob Hoskins in the original BBC production. Hoskins is so instantly likable that he automatically gives greater depth to the role.
But, ah, the musical numbers. They're great. Vernel Bagneris does a terrific shuffling dance in the rain to Pennies from Heaven. Christopher Walkin is a wonder as a sleazy pimp doing a strip and tap routine while lip synching to Let's Misbehave. And the dance number in the bank with Martin and, I think, an actor named Jay Garner, is a lot of fun. Garner plays a fat, complacent, middle aged banker who turns Martin down for a loan...but then in Arthur's fantasy they break into lip sync song and dance while the banker showers Arthur with money. Garner nearly steals the scene.
Martin must have really wanted to do this movie; it shows in the terrific dance routines he handles with skill and enthusiasm. The movie itself, for me, just doesn't come off. If you like big Hollywood productions numbers, though, get the disc and fast forward to them. That's what I've done after the first time I saw the movie on VHS.