Ten minutes in ‘Arthur’s Whisky’ and you know what’s going to happen. You meet three old female friends who discover an elixir that allows them to be young again. It is a tale as old as time – people getting a chance to relive their past and experience the days when everything seemed possible. In this case, the women discover a whisky by accident. They gulp it down to get away from their usual lives and wake up younger. In such a case, they decide to explore any options they can get their hands on. That obviously entails affairs of romantic and sexual natures. But the film has a little more to offer.
Arthur stumbles upon a potion to relive his youth. His departure leaves his wife, Joan (Patricia Hodge), with stares filled with pity. Her two friends – Linda (Diane Keaton) and Susan (Lulu), still see her as a woman on her own and not just as Arthur’s wife. They do not wish Joan to be a cliché and wallow in misery – as others expect of her. So, they go to her house, find a bottle of whisky, and gulp it down. The next morning, they wake up and find themselves suddenly much younger.
As said before, they do things that we would expect them to do. They go out to experience life as 20-somethings again. However, things have changed significantly since they were that young. So, the baristas know some coffee blends that they have little to no idea of. Young people dress differently and speak differently. It is not just a matter of vocabulary but the way they carry themselves. There is much more confidence and agency in them than what these women had – back when they were that age. So, the process becomes one of unlearning numerous habits.
The women all contemplate the possibilities of love and whether ‘love’ gives their lives the richness they once thought it did. Their self-reflection is not devoid of the fun and excitement they seek from being in these bodies, which are technically the same but quite different. So, it almost feels like wearing someone else’s skin. They all experience the newness of this rebirth of sorts. It goes without saying that having these actresses in the lead helps explore the predictable details of this journey better.
Despite its obvious narrative, ‘Arthur’s Whisky’ feels surprisingly charming. There are multiple reasons for this. Remember the time when romantic comedies were mostly about women tolerating distraught, self-obsessed men and, somehow, falling in love with them? Diane Keaton herself has starred in one such classic. Now, we see her play a woman realizing the value of radical self-acceptance. No matter which health condition or limitation comes into her life, she learns to face it without any shame. The film does not show it as an act of bravery but as a part of life. It makes this film feel a little more sincere than plain sappy indulgence.
It does not mean that the film is entirely unsentimental. There are plenty of conversations that revolve around age and gender that lean into that cloying zone. Besides, it finds humor in obvious moments. They feel they are out of touch with the reality. It is not just about these old women being young again. It is also about their outward younger selves (played by Genevieve Gaunt, Esme Lonsdale, and Hannah Howland) trying not to let their habits sneak into their fantastical present.
However, the humor does not come from a place of ridicule but awe. These women fall in love with the way things have changed while accepting the change within themselves – be it physical or emotional. They let the parts of themselves that they felt scared to share with anyone. Be it the wish to be desired, once again, by a younger person or one of the same gender, the film presents them with dignity.
‘Arthur’s Whisky’ operates like a Bucket List of sorts. The only difference is – none of them are doing things simply because ‘time is running out’. Instead, they cherish their present lives without the thought of anything impending crisis. So, the film feels breezy and earnest, even when it works with cliches.
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