Review of Alfie (2004) by Harry W — 14 Apr 2013

Although Alfie lacks the charming cockney feel that made the original such a classic, it's updated foray into a modern story is well executed and boasts a convincing feel.

Alfie holds a significantly more dramatic tone that the original 1966 film, but manages to make it work well through the film despite deviating fairly far from the original comedic roots of the story.

The cinematography also keeps up with Alfie's exploits and handles some symbolism in a greatly appropriate manner.

Jude Law makes a fine lead, giving us a side to Alfie that we never knew due to the way he balances his performance with the dramatic themes of Alfie and making the remake seem like watching the original Alfie from a different emotional perspective than Michael Caine did. And even though he doesn't best Michael Caine because he's attempting to recreate an iconic character, Jude Law's performance is full of skill.

Alfie also features a performance of the always marvellous Susan Sarandon in a role just perfect because it capitalises on her constant unbridled beauty through ageing as well as her skills as an actress, the feel she provides to the atmosphere and the utter charm of her mere voice is just what's needed. You can't say that this is a role anyone was born to play, but it's definitely the role Susan Sarandon aged perfectly to play.

However, the signature action of breaking the fourth wall that was coined in the 1966 version becomes fairly overused rather fast in Alfie, and even though it doesn't attempt to directly copy things exactly as they were in the original Alfie, it does overkill one of the things that made the original great.

Alfie also deviates distant enough from comedy that it becomes merely not that fun to watch, unlike the original one where Michael Caine was never anything more than fun in even the dramatic sequences. Even though it is a moving drama, that's what it's all about, Alfie. It's all drama and no fun. All Drama and No fun make Alfie a dull boy, even though Jude Law makes it work.

So Alfie is more impressive than expected, but struggles to balance between not copying the original and not deviating too far from it's comedic roots, but as a dramatic venture it's perfectly acted and is an entirely new look at Alfie and updates into a modern setting very well.