By: debbie lynn elias
First, a smash hit on the London stage. Next, the rage of the day as a 1966 film directed by Lewis Gilbert that made Michael Caine a household name and let Hollywood know he was a talent to reckoned with. And now, Bill Naughton’s overtly humorous, tour de force work is reinvigorated for the 21st Century, with even more elan, laughter and love, thanks to its newest leading man, Jude Law, as the irrepressible Alfie.
Alfie is a 40 year old ladies man who can’t decide whether to keep playing with this toys and counting his sexual conquests or take the responsible road to the riches of adulthood. You know, one woman, a mortgage, steady work, some kids, taxes, and eventually, a droll, boring death. What to do, what to do. (Wes, are you paying attention?) Having spent years fighting off the droves of flirtatious females whose biological clocks were ticking, Alfie suddenly finds himself seriously considering “romantic stability” and ultimate perpetuation of his familial line.
Whereas the original play and film were set in Cockney London, this go round we find Alfie as a limo driver in the Big Apple living the Epicurean life (East, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die) or as most of us know it, “party hearty” time. He will sleep with any woman, any time, anywhere and makes no apologies for his actions. Thanks to what are seamless vignettes, we meet the women of Alfie’s life that are wrecking such havoc on his male sensibilities. We’ve got the party gal who could give “Girls Gone Wild” a run for their money, not to mention, a single mom looking for a husband and instant father. Then, of course, there’s the older well-to-do Manhattan socialite looking for a good time and willing to spend her money to get it and naturally, what’s a romantic tangle without a little in flagrante delicto with the ex-girlfriend of your best friend.
But, while this Alfie may not seem to be the most socially conscious, and in fact, exudes blatant disregard for today’s responsibilities such as HIV & AIDS, pregnancy and abortion, not to mention being emotionally abusive to women, such really isn’t the case. Thanks to a well crafted screenplay adaptation by Elaine Pope and Charles Shyer, who does double duty as director, there is a purpose – and quite possibly a noble one at that – to Alfie’s actions that are essential to the film’s climax. Alfie’s lack of sophistication and crassness is also mandatory to the essence of the film and the direct camera address approach often taken by the character which subsequently allows the viewer to become immersed in Alfie, evoking sympathy and compassion for this unrefined specimen of manhood as he journeys along the road to self-discovery.
Pope and Shyer also do a flawless job of juggling this large ensemble piece, providing depth and detail for each character and situation, with no waste and no excess to be found. Shyer, masterful at remakes, having penned hits like the 1991 Steve Martin version of “Father of the Bride” and Disney’s 1998 version of “The Parent Trap” that launched the film career of Lindsay Lohan, puts his considerable talents to work here as he updates a beloved product without losing the very essence that made it so successful in the first place.
Although surrounded by an ubber talented cast of women – Susan Sarandon, Maria Tomei, Jan Krakowski, Nia Long and Renee Taylor – it is Jude Law that keeps the ship afloat. With the same exacting precision that made him so unforgettable as Gigolo Joe in “A.I.” or the animal magnetism that has him soaring from the skies into our hearts as Sky Captain or the strength and fortitude exhibited in his Oscar nominated performance as “Cold Mountain’s Inman, here, Law combines them all, turning in what I believe is the most amazing performance of his already stellar career. As daunting a task as it seems stepping into the shoes of Oscar nominee Michael Caine, Law does it effortlessly, providing a wink of an eye or the flip of his hand that only adds to the charm of this often reprehensible reprobate, making him even more endearing with each little leer. Even more impressive is Law’s successful relationship with the straight-to-camera format which seems to spur him on, evoking deeper ! emotion and dimension than Caine allowed in his performance. In a year where Law seems omnipresent, no other performance even compares with his Alfie. I fully expect that what the role did for Michael Caine, it will do again for Jude Law, only tenfold. This is charismatic charm at its best.
Under Shyer’s energetic direction, which includes every type of camera technique from split screens to slo-mo to stills, everyone seems to have free rein to not only fully explore their characters, but to do so joyfully. Adding to the experience is the picturesque cinematography of Ashley Rowe who captures the beauty and excitement of New York as if painted on canvas by Van Gogh and Monet combined. Enhancing Rowe’s work and increasing the energetic intensity of Shyer is the stylized editing of Padraic McKinley. Topping it all off are the emotionally charged sounds of Mick Jagger and John Powell that complete this already superlative work.
Unpredictably fun, endlessly entertaining, intelligent and full of heart, this film is the surprise of the season; and one where you won’t find yourself asking “What’s it all about” when the curtain falls.
Alfie: Jude Law Marlon: Omar Epps
Susan Sarandon: Liz Maria Tomei: Julie
Jan Krakowski: Dorie Nia Long: Lonette
Directed by Charles Shyer. Written by Elaine Pope and Charles Shyer based on a play by Bill Naughton. Rated R. (103 min)
