Movie Review: Alfie

This was a movie that I wasn't sure I really wanted to see, but I heard good things about it and Jude Law is turning into a a very good actor. So I decided to go see it. What I got was a mixed bag, but one that comes out as a positive outlook. On one hand, the story is not terribly deep, but the characters that inhabit the story tell a lot with their expressions and mannerisms. It is a film where the acting is stronger than the story, thus bringing the story up and elevating the film as a whole.



Jude Law plays Alfie, a womanizing limo driver. We watch him discuss his mannerisms and what he does, we meet the women he is involved with. We learn that he is shielding himself from pain by pursuing these women, and ignoring what he has right in front of him. Law gives him a certain cockiness and swagger which covers a vulnerability that is just below the surface. We see him make mistakes which will change him for the rest of his life.

There is a light hearted feel to many of the characters but beneath that is pain that he is unable to fill. We watch him spiral down to the point of no return. Law gives Alfie life, his expressions, way of speaking, they all work to great effect. The women in his life are more than just set dressing, they are Alfie's reason for being and also the device of his downfall. Julie (Marisa Tomei) is the woman he was meant for but can't commit, Lonette (Nia Long) is the error in judgement that he can't take back, Nikki (Sienna Miller) is what he thinks he wants, Liz (Susan Sarandon) is a new world. All comes together with the fine performances.

The style of the film is also intriguing, it is almost a documentary. Law makes a lot of asides to the camera effectively bringing us into the story with him. I found it to be very effective and engaging, it brought another level of life to the film. Without it, I doubt the film would have been as entertaining as it was.

Bottomline. A middling story elevated by fine performances, wspecially from Law. Demonstrating how these choices of lifestyle can haunt you and affect how you live your life and interact with other people.

Recommended.

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