Arthur Newman

Dante Ariola's film about people who want to change their identities stars Colin Firth as Wallace, a sad-sack middle-management type despised by his teenage son (who lives with Wallace's dismissive ex-wife). After securing a fake ID in the name of Arthur Newman (new man, get it?), Wallace fakes his death and hits the road, where he winds up rescuing a damsel in distress (Emily Blunt), who not only quickly discovers Arthur's imposture but also eventually reveals that she is going under the name of her twin sister, Mike. After Arthur confesses that he was once a promising golfer who choked on his first pro tour and now plans to drive to Indiana for a job as an instructor at a hotel, Mike becomes his traveling companion, persuading Arthur to join her in a curious game along the way: namely, breaking into the houses of absent couples and adopting their identities for awhile. While there's a chance that despite the age difference the pair will stumble into romance, the filmmakers wisely eschew that route, periodically cutting back to Arthur's family and friends to suggest that the former Wallace is missed. Unfortunately, the film's characters (in either their original or assumed personalities) never seem authentic. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette (31 min.) and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus DVD copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)