Hitchcoc Except for the wonderful cheek of Michael Caine, this would be a pretty ordinary movie. The thing is, however, this rake is really a destructive force. These little sex comedies in the Sixties were pretty much for male viewers or fantasizing women. This is the kind of cad who makes promises with no desire to ever commit to anything. His motivations are strictly physical and without direction. And yet, Micael Caine lights up the screen. He is one of those actors who I automatically go to, like Anthony Hopkins or Gene Hackman. I know that even if the script is somewhat lacking, these guys will rise above it.

Dan Harden Alfie is very much a film of it's time, it's purpose to be a critique of the swinging 60's lifestyle. Why it was remade I do not know.Michael Caine plays Alfie, the hedonistic, sexist, hypercritical, narcissistic cockney who breaks the fourth wall letting us into his thoughts and feelings. Caine is great in the role showing the ability that would make him a household name in years to come.Lewis Gilbert's direction is extremely detailed and symbolic as meaning can be found everywhere, mainly to symbolise Alfie's inner conflict as well as the real Britain in the 60's as opposed to the media's representation of "Swinging Britain".This Kitchen Sink film stands out for its use of 4th wall breaking. Although criticised, Alfie has become infamous for his ability to break the fourth wall. This allows the audience to react to him rather differently (sort of positively) as he allows us into his life and mind.The film deals with some rather interesting issues that were deemed controversial at the time and still are today. The issues of abortion, gender equality, homosexuality, divorce etc are all at least touched on in this film. The abortion scene in Alfie (Where Alfie goes behind the blue curtain) is in my opinion the best scene in the film, as even watching it now I was shocked and to think how people would have reacted in the 60's I can only imagine. Also in the scene Alfie finally lets out a cry bringing his feelings to the surface which is the best acting Michael Caine's puts on display in the film.Alfie is a classic film, a film of its time that can be looked back at as a part of cinematic and British history of the 60's. It's a good film I just simply have no idea why this would be remade, being a film that is set, made and about the 60's. But that's a review for another day.

brchthethird ALFIE is a somewhat dated, but still engaging dramedy, with a star-making performance by Michael Caine. The film is about Alfie, a Cockney ladies' man with commitment issues, and the audience is personally led through his life by him breaking the fourth wall and addressing us directly. This is useful on a couple of levels. First, it is amusing that he can do that without his female companions being any wiser, but it also allows the viewer to connect with him in a much deeper way. As Alfie is a rather unlikeable character, save for a couple scenes where he shows some genuine emotion, the way in which he directly communicates with the audience is key in laying bare the character's motivation, regardless of whether or not you agree with what he does. Early on in the film, there is a sly comedic tone set which carries throughout most of the running time, until it takes a turn for the melodramatic. I didn't particularly like the direction it went, but it did serve a narrative and character-building purpose. I also felt like Alfie's comeuppance was handled rather well. Overall, this was a good movie, though occasionally slightly tedious. Michael Caine's performance is the real draw here. Still, there was a nice soundtrack and closing credits song by Cher. Despite some rather dated morals, I felt that this was a good character study of someone who knows how to make love, but doesn't know how to love.

pontifikator Michael Caine gets well-deserved praise for his acting, but I'd like to give credit to Bill Naughton, the man who wrote the play on which the movie is based and who wrote the screenplay. Naughton's understanding of Alfie is deep and caring, even though Alfie is a narcissistic jerk. Caine gets the character right, showing us all Alfie's flaws without making the character unbearable.Alfie is a man whose goal in life is to screw women. His references to women in general, and each particular woman he dates, is to "bird" and "it." "It's a nice little bird, isn't it?" he'll ask us -- Alfie looks straight at the camera and addresses us the viewers as his co-conspirators in life. If you didn't see Michael Caine in the 60s when he was in his prime, you may be surprised at his good looks; he was almost pretty. It makes it totally credible that Caine's Alfie could be a ladies man and get quite beautiful women to stay with him in spite of his narcissism and lack of any caring at all. Alfie's asides to the camera are plentiful and revealing of his character. We're taken into his confidence, even as the women are taken.The film is very 60s in its view of things. Sex outside of marriage was a sin, nice girls didn't do it, and girls who did were looked down upon. And Alfie is a cad who preys upon nice girls. Among his victims are Annie, played by Jane Asher. (Asher was an actress from her pre- school days, but she may be best known as Paul McArtney's long-time girlfriend. She's said to be the inspiration for the songs "And I Love Her," "All my Loving," "Here, There and Everywhere," among others.) There's also the sad Lily, wife of a long-term patient in a nursing home who is an acquaintance of Alfie's. Lily is very well played by Vivien Merchant. (Merchant had some sad times of her own, I understand. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for this role, and she was in many other plays and movies. Married to Harold Pinter, he cheated on her, setting up his script for "Betrayal." After the divorce, Merchant died from the consequences of her alcoholism at the age of 53.) Shelley Winters plays Ruby, the character Alfie likes most of his birds. But she's too much like him for it to work."Alfie" can be seen as comedic, but the underlying themes are depressing. Naughton uses humor to make an otherwise unrelentingly inhuman and inhumane point of view -- well, not likable, but at least bearable. The script is very impressive as Naughton (and Caine) peel away Alfie's layers of defenses, baring his sorry excuse for a soul. When we finally get to Alfie's heart, there's nothing there.The music is excellent; original music is by Sonny Rollins. He did a great job of capturing the spirit of the 60s and the spirit of Alfie. Cinematographer Otto Heller and director Lewis Gilbert made great use of the sets and the camera, capturing Alfie in his milieu. "Alfie" received 5 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Best Screenplay based on Material from another Medium.If you liked Caine in this, I suggest seeing "The Ipcress File," which came out a year earlier.I saw Shelley Winters being interviewed on TV about this movie. She said she couldn't understand a word Michael Caine said and that the movie was re-dubbed for American audiences to soften Alfie's cockney accent. At least that's my recollection, and I'm sticking with it.I haven't seen the later version with Jude Law. My impression is that the two versions cannot be compared. Don't let your like or dislike of the later version sway you in seeing the 1966 "Alfie."