Alfie (2004)

A cockney womanizer learns the hard way about the dangers of his actions.

Director:

Charles Shyer

Writers:

Bill Naughton (play), Bill Naughton (earlier screenplay)

Stars:

Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Susan Sarandon

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jude Law	...	Alfie
Renée Taylor	...	Lu Schnitman (as Renee Taylor)
Jane Krakowski	...	Dorie
Jeff Harding	...	Phil
Marisa Tomei	...	Julie
Kevin Rahm	...	Terry
Max Morris	...	Max
Omar Epps	...	Marlon
Nia Long	...	Lonette
Gedde Watanabe	...	Wing
Jo Yang	...	Mrs. Wing
Tara Summers	...	Carol
Sam Vincenti	...	Felix
Katherine LaNasa	...	Uta
Claudette Mink	...	Bitter Girl

Storyline

Finding it hard to finally settle down and commit himself to only one woman, the unrepentant philanderer and undeniable ladies' man, Alfie, is a charming British who cruises the streets of New York as a limousine chauffeur. In his impeccable suits, the silver-tongued Casanova is simply irresistible; however, things will take an unexpected turn, when a night of unrestrained passion seriously tests Alfie's frivolous approach to life. In the end, is Alfie happy, and above all, what's it all about, then?

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Plot Keywords:

abused woman | one night stand | limousine driver | womanizer | single mother | 

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Taglines:

What's it all about?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, some language and drug use

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

What's It All About, Alfie?

Filming Locations:

Tavern on the Green - Central Park at W. 67th Street, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,314,156 (United Kingdom), 24 October 2004, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,218,335, 7 November 2004, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$13,399,812

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$35,150,546

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Patalex Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Charles Shyer was inspired by the skinny suits that the Beatles wore in A Hard Day's Night (1964) for Alfie's wardrobe and the brown sweater that Alfie wears in several scenes was Jude Law's own.

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Goofs

When Alfie is driving from Manhattan to visit Marlon and Lonette, he crosses the Brooklyn Bridge, which goes to Long Island, not upstate New York where they live.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Alfie: You're lucky you know. I rarely allow anyone into my flat.

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Crazy Credits

The main credits at the end of the picture show the person's face alongside his or her name. Even Michael Caine is pictured, alongside Bill Naughton's credit.

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Connections

Referenced in Have I Got News for You: Episode #28.7 (2004)

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Soundtracks

Blind Leading the Blind
(2004)
Written by Mick Jagger & David A. Stewart
Performed & Produced by Mick Jagger & David A. Stewart (as Dave Stewart)

User Reviews

Lets do the time warp now!

Remakes are always a problem for the critic, whether or not he or she has seen the original. Here we have an American remake in 2004 of a British film made by Lewis Gilbert in 1966, itself an adaptation of a stage play by Bill McNaughton from the early 60s. The creative process is not easy to track in these circumstances, even though the DVD I saw has two sets of audio-commentary by the director, Charles Shyer, and others.

In this version Alfie is still the chirpy cockney Lothario, but operating as a chauffeur in lower Manhattan rather than London. His women are characters derived from the 1966 film, but glamorised somewhat. Alfie's philosophy, delivered face to camera, as in the first film, is the same – love 'em and leave 'em.

As Alfie, Jude Law channels Michael Caine in the 1966 film but puts his own stamp on the role. Jude is exactly right for the part and makes Alfie both repellent and sympathetic. We are left hoping he will mend his ways but thinking there's not much chance of that. For Alfie, there is no answer to the question posed in the song "What's it all about?" The music, written and performed by another hardy survivor of swinging London in the 60s, Mick Jagger (and others) is a pleasant feature, and Alfie's girls are undeniably attractive. (During filming Jude Law and Sienna Miller became an item – that's method acting for you.) Charles Shyer tells us in the audio-commentary that he set out to be stylish and there's considerable use of split-screen technique and some fancy cutting. Using Manchester, Liverpool and London as Manhattan as well as Manhattan itself for location shooting must have caused some production problems, though most of them seemed to have been overcome in post-production.

This 2004 version did decent business in the UK but bombed in the US. Why? The hero is a Brit, but then so is James Bond. The women are all accomplished actresses and Susan Sarandon delivers a standout performance. There is plenty of relatively tasteful humour but no happy ending, just "life goes on". The pace is fast enough and Shyer slaps on plenty of "style", but what we are seeing is the 1966 film lite. A period piece set in the wrong period. Elaine Pope, who co-wrote the screenplay with Shyer, was well aware that women are now less inclined to be doormats for feckless men like Alfie, and adjusted the female parts accordingly, but ultimately we have a movie 40 years out of its time.