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Alfie

A womanizer in 60s Britain is just not the same as one in modern day America, and Alfie, available on DVD, is here to remind us. Unfortunately, this 2004 remake of the much smarter ’66 version also proves that different isn’t always better. Alfie, played by Jude Law, is a young man who bears his conscience and shares his life philosophy with us through a smug monologue that fails to maintain our attention (unlike the original, peppy Michael Caine’s).

Law’s character slingshots through women and attitudes, letting down those who trust him, as well as himself. The girls he hurts seem wise and forgiving, waving him away by what weakly translates as dismissive and pitying fingers. Instead of horrifying us with crudeness as did the original, this wimpier, safer Alfie exudes only the overbearing sentiment of “Boo hoo, I’m a womanizer.” Law’s endless narrative, broken by unimaginative split-screens and bogged down by a sea of arcane characters and ideas, results in the feeling that director -- is experimenting as he goes along.

Because we can’t get close enough to the characters for their heartbreaks to have any oomph, combined with the fact that Alfie’s love affairs all lack the common tie to make them sensible to us, the movie’s lesson hits the floor with a resounding thud. The perk to seeing this flick on DVD rather than in theatres is its special features section. There is a part that shows how and why characters from the old Alfie were updated and revamped for the remake, which is perhaps the only reason why this DVD is worth renting.

Written by: Genevieve

Reviewers Rating: 4.5
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