|
Review by Dustin Putman
3 stars out of 4
"Alfie," a remake of the 1966 film starring Michael Caine in the title
role, thematically reminds of a more accessible, personalized version
of the recent "I ? Huckabees." Although it is easier to wrap your
finger around, and, thus, more audience-friendly for the mainstream
faction, it is in no way simpler or condescending. An accurately observed
slice-of-life-cum-coming-of-age story about a philosophical womanizer's
bumpy road to processing the choices he has made and discovering that
there is more to life than one-night-stands, "Alfie" is smart, understated,
and unusually perceptive.
For the smooth, seductive Alfie (Jude Law), a limousine driver living
in the heart of the Big Apple, his free time—and occasionally his
working hours—are all about two things: "women and wine." Strongly
believing that a lot of something is better than just one, his playboy
lifestyle is but a series of flings, some more long-term than others
but never with the promise of monogamy. Single mom Julie (Marisa Tomei)
is his sort-of, quasi-girlfriend, but she is at a point where she
wants to settle down into a relationship and is starting to catch
Alfie's drift that he isn't the man to do it with. The older Liz (Susan
Sarandon) is a Manhattan socialite, a female representation of Alfie
who is always ready for a good time but not always with the same person.
Nikki (Sienna Miller) is a wild party girl who worships the feet of
Alfie after taking a ride in his limo, but threatens to become too
much of a handful. And cocktail waitress Lonette (Nia Long) is the
ex-girlfriend of Alfie's best friend, Marlon (Omar Epps), her actions
with Alfie after a night of drinking she soon regrets.
"Alfie" is a studio picture with an unlikely protagonist, that of
an unapologetic man willing to sleep with any woman, single or not,
that he comes across. Although Alfie does and says unsavory things,
there is a purpose behind them for the climactic payoff to work. Writer-director
Charles Shyer (2001's "The Affair of the Necklace") and co-screenwriter
Elaine Pope avoid sugarcoating the candidly raw Alfie, who often waxes
philosophic directly to the camera. Breaking down the fourth wall
is a tricky cinematic undertaking that demands just the right unforced
touch to work, and it does here. Most important of all, as the viewer
observes Alfie's actions and gets to know him as he gets to know himself
for the first time in his life, he becomes deeply sympathetic in a three-dimensional way.
The way in which the script juggles its large ensemble of characters
is time-efficient and close to faultless. Alfie's story is told through
his varied interactions with the women in his life, each one given
enough time to make an impact as a person who feels real rather than
a thin screenplay creation. And while there are a number of amusing
comedic moments, it is in the drama of Alfie's self-discovery that
the film gains its loftiest and most truthful resonance.
Several scenes are downright invigorating to watch and experience,
either from a touching emotional standpoint—a moment between Alfie
and Lonette following a difficult decision she makes; a bitter run-in
near the end between Alfie and best friend Marlon—or from a sense
of freedom and joyful energy that director Charles Shyer and unobtrusively
stylish editor Padraic McKinley (2002's "Igby Goes Down") capture
to great effect. The cinematography by Ashley Rowe (2004's "Chasing
Liberty") is lovely and picturesque, painting the Christmas season
in Manhattan with utterly gorgeous strokes that make the city look
like one of the most exciting places in the world. The incendiary
original music by Mick Jagger, John Powell, and David A. Stewart aids
immeasurably in underscoring the emotions present in each scene without
wading into heavy-handedness.
In a year in which Jude Law is all over the place—"Sky Captain and
the World of Tomorrow," "I ? Huckabees," and the upcoming "Closer"
and "The Aviator"—his sterling, dashing work as Alfie will be tough
to beat. Although the screenplay offers depth to the role, it is Law
who makes this ant-hero a likable, if flawed, person worth caring
about. The top-notch actresses surrounding him bring additional gravitas
and support to their scenes, including Nia Long (2000's "Big Momma's
House"), Marisa Tomei (2001's "In the Bedroom"), Susan Sarandon (2004's
"Shall We Dance"), Jane Krakowski (2003's "Marci X"), and stunning newcomer Sienna Miller.
There are times as "Alfie" rounds the corner to its finish line that
threaten to become routine, as Alfie makes his way around town reuniting
with the women in his life and being faced with one eye-opening discovery
after the next, but director Charles Shyer fortunately never quite
falls into a predictable melodramatic pattern. If anything, the final
moments of "Alfie" dodge expectations to offer something a bit more
restrained and genuine than what most viewers will likely be counting
on. "Alfie" is a gratifying early surprise of the autumn movie season,
an intelligent and wise film that finds vast entertainment value in
one man's own existential crises.
Copyright © 2004 Dustin Putman
|
out of 4
