Alfie

2004 "Meet a man who never met a woman he didn't love."
6.2| 1h46m| R| en
Details

A tale of a philosophical womanizer who is forced to question his seemingly carefree existence.

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Reviews

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...
Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Allissa .Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
Tweekums Alfie is a cocky Englishman enjoying his life in New York. Life seems good to him; he has a girlfriend but that doesn't stop him sleeping with other women who he dumps at the first sign that they want any sort of commitment. Then things start to go wrong; his girlfriend decides that she has had enough, he sleeps with his best friend's girlfriend then he finds that he can no longer perform in the way that matters most to him… in bed. This leaves him questioning his life style. He finds another girlfriend but the longer they are together the more he longs for somebody else; he then thinks he's found 'the one' only to learn that she has the same attitude to men that he had always had for women.I can't compare this to the original film as it is a long time since I watched that. Without that nagging comparison I found this to be an enjoyable film. Jude Law did a fine job as Alfie making him likable even though he is clearly a bit of a cad. I liked how most of the dialogue was aimed directly at the audience in a way that not only breaks the fourth wall it completely removes it. Some may consider the film to be somewhat misogynistic thanks to Alfie's one track mind when it comes to women; thankfully we see that attitude has consequences. The rest of the cast impresses too; most notably Sienna Miller and Susan Sarandon. Overall I found this to be rather fun although not a must see unless you are a Jude Law fan.
grantss Not as good as the original, but it has its moments. The original Alfie was a visceral experience. You felt infuriated at his behaviour, yet laughed at it occasionally (at him, not with him). There was an edginess to it, as if it was going out of its way to annoy and offend you. Plus you had the superb performance of Michael Caine.This version is a lot less annoying, which is bad. Alfie's actions almost seem...normal and commonplace. His actions are certainly not being glorified, but they seem a lot less extreme.The new version does have its charms though. Jude Law is suitably suave and charming in the lead role. There is a swagger and big city sophistication to it. The soundtrack (mostly composed and performed by Mick Jagger and Dave Stewart) is great, and works very well with the movie.So, not as good as the original, but reasonably entertaining nonetheless.
benmaffin The film is well acted, presented and nicely produced. The characters feel real and there's some lovely location shots from the Waldorf Astoria to the City quayside. Close ups shots of the actors with sweet bohken don't feel cluttered or intrusive and the dialogue flows well.Storyline is simple enough, and shows Alfie at first as a bit of a hero in life and then as the plot progresses you see the cracks in the facade leading to his true predicament in the last ten minutes of the film.Probably the most challenging element for filming would have been Jude Law's soliloquies to the camera. These however are expertly segued in with the day to day events of the cast and add rather than detract from the story.The hardest part of the film for me is just who it's aimed at. Initially I'd assumed it was a chick flick, good looking lead actor, lots of relationship conversations and a distinct lack of explosives or action…. ...but then Sienna Miller comes along and gets naked. In this case it just didn't feel right in terms of timing or an appropriate way to make the scenes point. There were earlier opportunities to fit this in, but it comes out of the blue and lacked the subtlety it would have been easy to achieve. That said if you've got it, flaunt it and Sienna does it with an alacrity which will be painful for those who're not as lucky as she.The end result is a watchable and (largely) consistent film with some nice eye candy and an easy plot to follow. I'd recommend it if there's nothing else on, but there's stronger films out there if you're after a more challenging watch.
mdenvee I'm probably writing the only review which sees this newer version of Alfie as far, far better than the original. I know it will inflame many loyal fans of the Caine original, but I can easily say the Jude version is solidly better in every respect. But, I will admit that having seen the new version first, I can understand how some people may be biased in their opinion- typically the first version is better, and actually conditions your mind to unconsciously compare the new one with the old one. Nevertheless, it does not mean it should invalidate a review, provided that there is careful objectivity. I think most significant is the different type of film the Jude version is- a more engaging, heartfelt,'balanced' version with a both modern and vintage flare. The Caine version was way too cold, serious, dry, and somewhat humorless, and one could not relate to Caine's Alfie- he was a bit creepy and his womanizing behavior seemed more deliberate and emotionless, while Jude's Alfie is a more charming, sweet and in most ways innocent character who happens to indulge to excess seducing and ultimately manipulating women. But in the Jude Alfie, it's almost like a kid in a candy store who has a free pass to candy- Alfie's free pass is his charm and good looks which enables the Jude version to come across more convincing and lovable... as opposed to the Caine Alfie who is not especially handsome or charming and comes across as calculating and a true sexual compulsive. Don't get me wrong- I love Michael Caine and I am an old-movie buff and normally I prefer the original version of almost all films. But even great movies like The Maltese Falcon had a prior version before Humphrey Bogart which lacked the music, tempo, personality, humor, and emotional connection. Another 2nd and better version of other great movies are The Man Who Knew Too Much and Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Meet Joe Black. The originals are good in many ways, but lack the "total package" of a great movie, almost as if the first version were a rough draft. Anyway, getting back to the Jude Alfie...I really can't say enough about the impact the movie has on guys and girls in their 20s and 30s. It's a both bright and dark as well as moral movie without pontificating or preaching and it covers a myriad of aspects to relationships and many hard lessons and realities. Every character fits perfectly with the direction and writing of the film and seems real-life and just very engaging. Caine's Alfie seems like a psychological analysis of a sexually obsessed man who's bereft of emotion and the women he womanizes. His film is decent, but pales in comparison to other Caine films and frankly he is quite miscast for the role of Aflie. Jude Law is brilliant and one of the finest and most versatile (and under-used) actors I've ever seen (as he was in Talented Ripley). He literally becomes Alfie, a womanizer that you love but want to hate (but can't). And via his acting and his script, Jude makes you in many ways identify (and almost excuse) his character's behavior. The newer Alfie is written with a bluntness and brutal candor about the male and female gender and how we unconsciously see each other- this may come across as offensive to ultra liberals or feminists, but none of it is offensive or hurtful- it is just life's reality. The flow of the film is perfect and nicely edited and transitions seamlessly. The film has high points and low points, which the audience can relate to, and creates the effect of not making it a mono-toned film like the original Alfie, and this is what I meant by "balanced". For a film of this difficult subject matter to work right, it cannot be as somber, relentless and two-dimensional as Caine's version. A real expression of superb writing and direction in a film is when it can have both happy moments, funny moments, and immediately after have serious, even heartbreaking moments and ultimately teach a lesson which anyone can learn from. An example of the newer Alfie being a lighter film, but just as powerful and even more shocking is the discovery that he has a child which he had thought was aborted. This is likened to the Caine version where Alfie see's the actual aborted fetus remains and has an emotional breakdown. The new version is just as stunning (and actually more unexpected) and in my opinion more of a reality check of life's twists and turns and the lesson that our actions may have life long consequences. While I can appreciate the impact of the Caine sequence, it is basically 'over-dramatic' since the Jude version itself is just as or more effective and instead of horrifying the audience and unbalancing the film, it is both sad and happy when we learn Jude's Alfie has a son. This is just one example of the tone of the newer Alfie-- different, just as powerful, better acted, better written, better music, better scenery, better flow, more realistic, and far more enjoyable to watch. And most important, a film that literally all of us can identify with at some stages in out lives. Truly a great film. 10/10.