When it was released back in 1966, "Alfie" was a rather shocking and scandalous film. Although the sexual revolution of that decade was in full swing, viewers were surprised by the film's sexual content that included a roaming lothario's casual attitude toward women and sex, as well as an abortion.
Since then, the world has become so sexualized that that the original now seems like no big deal what with its almost quaint approach at delving into the subject matter. And with so many other commitment-phobic swingers appearing on the screen during the intervening decades, the notion of remaking the film for contemporary audiences seems like a gamble at best.
Despite that and the fact that few people today remember or even know about the original, writer/director Charles Shyer ("The Affair of the Necklace," the "Father of the Bride" films) and co-writer Elaine Pope (making her feature debut) have brought back the character and his sexual shenanigans in the 2004 remake of the same name.
While some of the fine details have obviously been changed -- most notably modern day Manhattan replacing 1960s era London as the setting -- much remains the same. That is, except for Jude Law ("Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," "Cold Mountain") stepping in for Michael Caine who, while still a charmer, is obviously a bit old in the tooth to reprise the playboy who beds many women but is adverse to being caught in anything resembling a permanent relationship.
And it's Law who makes the film work to enough of a degree that some will find it entertaining. Beyond looking a bit like a young Caine, the fellow Londoner possesses and exudes more than enough charm and wit to make the character a pleasant diversion despite his womanizing ways.
Another thing the film retains from the original is in having the protagonist directly address the viewer by looking into the camera and discussing his views about his current situation, the issue of sex or just himself. While a bit unusual, the tactic isn't unheard of nowadays and certainly isn't as surprising as it was nearly forty years ago when characters rarely broke what's become known as "the fourth wall." The character's asides are occasionally amusing, but clearly not enough for a gimmick that wears out its welcome long before the film draws to a close.
The bigger problem is that we've seen this sort of character and story enough times before that the novelty and interest factors are greatly diminished. Far more entertaining versions of the "playboy learns his lesson" plot can be found in the likes of "Roger Dodger" and "About A Boy," to name just a few.
While the film contains some amusing dialogue, a few nice moments and some fun scenes (including a cool jazz version of Sonny and Cher's "The Beat Goes On" hit), it can't escape the "been there, seen that before" reaction that many viewers, including yours truly, will likely have.
While Law gets some testosterone accompaniment from Omar Epps ("Against the Ropes," "Love and Basketball"), the supporting roles are dominated (and fleshed out more than the original) by the bevy of actresses who appear as the title character's many conquests. Jane Krakowski ("Marci X," TV's "Ally McBeal") appears as the first that we see, but the likes of Marisa Tomei ("Anger Management," "My Cousin Vinny"), Nia Long ("Big Momma's House," "Boiler Room"), Sienna Miller ("Layer Cake," TV's "Keen Eddie") and Susan Sarandon ("Shall We Dance," "The Banger Sisters") get the meatier roles, with the latter two playing the most interesting ones.
They're present, of course, to allow and/or teach Law's character to learn his lesson. Yet, beyond his predictable discovery of the error of his ways, the character and overall film are missing the emotional connection that made the likes of "About A Boy" so good, engaging and rather heartwarming. Some may find this "Alfie" entertaining, but it lacks both the bark and bite that made the original more noteworthy. This version rates as a 5 out of 10.
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