Another classic film has been remade. What’s it all about?
The original Alfie was very much a product of it’s time – the late 60’s. Like “The Knack and How to Get It”, “Georgie Girl” and so many others, it was a way for society to come to terms with the upheavals that were coming from within it. The casual relationships that evolved from the introduction of the pill, along with rebellion against the status quo of marriage were topical at the time. Are they relevant almost 40 years later in a post-AIDs world?
Possibly not as much, as casual relationships have become very much the status quo of our times, mind you abortion and a woman’s rite to make her own choices is being revised. Alfie was iconic of his period, an unrealistic exaggerated amalgam of a variety of the unattractive attributes of the society predator. Apparently he is still around, and doing well in New York.
Keeping many of the same plot elements as the original, the story increases it’s emphasis on modern concerns like fashion. Jude Law’s performance is very good, with his hungry eyes and leg-opening smile. One topic that is virtually overlooked is safe sex.
What works in the favour of this remake is that most cinema classics are made for film lovers who will search out a film and accept it for it’s time. This film is simply made for lovers who will not be interested in looking beyond the new releases list.
It is a good film, though it doesn’t pack the punch of the original due to the success of its glamorous look. The rawness of the original really helped, and the clipped delivery of Michael Caine, particularly during the closing silique, is more suiting than Laws smooth accent.
There is some interesting depth to this film about a superficial kinda guy.