Charles Shyer, 2004
8.0
the film starts out rather weak, relying on Jude's charm to work on us but Alfie is a bit of an ass and is thus kind of hard to like. but there's a point where it starts to settle into its groove. that's when i started noticing all the subtle work done by the actors. it's quite amazing, really. on the surface there's this easily identifiable film about a charming guy who won't commit. but underneath all of it director Charles Shyer is working out small moments. after a rather shaky start, the film ends up being surprisingly affecting. it's never manipulative nor syrupy, it works much more honestly, having Alfie discover his own self along the journey. and Alfie's self-awareness is quite refreshing as well. moments and feelings (like he mentions in the film, in fact) just creep up on you. i have a feeling the original script had all of that in it. and i think the fact that Elaine Pope and Charles Shyer, who adapted the screenplay for this remake, being producers on this film had a lot to do with the fact that it retained such class and honesty. a surprisingly moving film helped by Jude's rather melancholic performance. we know he can be the most blazingly charming man on earth, and he was rightly cast for this job, but there's also this aching side that Alfie discovers about himself that Jude excelled at in this film. kind of like a quiet heartbreak. enjoy.
Posted by Anonymous | 7:16 PM
