Rating: 
Summary: Caine's Launching Pad
Review: "Alfie" proved to be Michael Caine's launching pad to international stardom with the film's 1966 release and subsequent rave notices, occurring one year after he made his starring debut in "The Ipcress File" playing Len Deighton's colorfully unconventional British agent Harry Palmer.Director Lewis Gilbert is to be given tremendous credit in using the successful technique from Irish playwright Bill Naughton's successful London West End play of having the male star Alfie speak directly to the audience, in the process revealing his lack of character and thorough one-sidedness in his evaluation of personal relationships with women. The naysayers sought to convince Gilbert that the soliloquy is better left to stage drama and will not work in the cinema. The result was that some of Caine's most engaging moments came when he spoke directly to the camera in his Cockney tone, replete with lower middle class slang. The film was released in the sexually liberated sixties, revealing the flip side of what happens when a selfish man pursues pleasure at all costs. When Caine's affair with Julia Foster results in the birth of a son he takes great pride in being a father, but not to the point where he is willing to marry her and assume full responsibilities of fatherhood. Instead he visits his son, provides him with gifts, and wheels him around London in a baby carriage. When Foster accepts the proposal of marriage from a sincere man she does not love, but who loves her, Caine cries foul and feels he has been mistreated. After a temporary lung illness confines Caine to a sanatorium he has an affair with the wife of a friend he meets inside who is recovering from tuberculosis,impregnating her. The scene where an abortion is performed by Denholm Elliott is done with a grim and gripping realism. It is Elliott's sole scene in the film and he makes it count. The cocky Caine ultimately receives his just desserts from the irrepressible Shelley Winters after engaging in selfish conduct with numerous women. He decides that he would like to pursue the relationship with wealthy American Winters on an extended level. When he arrives at her flat he discovers a young man in his twenties with a guitar sitting silently in another room. When Caine asks in a wounded tone just what this young man has that he doesn't, she coolly responds, "He's younger than you." She then asks him for the key she had given him to her apartment during a more blissful period in their relationship. After his rejection by Winters, Caine stands on Thames Embankment on a quiet evening looking perplexed, his only companion a stray dog who likes his company. At the film's close a perplexed Alfie, wounded from rejection, faces the camera and asks, relative to the overarching question of life itself, "What's it all about?" This was one of the great British films dealing with the sexual revolution of the sixties, where it ranks alongside John Schlesinger's epic, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," which was released just after the controversial decade ended, in 1971.
Rating:
Summary: Everybody Luvved Them Brits...
Review: ...I mean, of course, those mop-topped ones like the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Dave Clark Five and any of those British Invasion rock groups. Sean Connery's Bond--James Bond. These cats could do no wrong, until, of course, the Who and this moovy--& later on a "Clockwork Orange"--blew the lid off forever. Michael Caine plays the cockney everyone loves to hate in this rather sad story. Someone said that Caine came full circle in his recent Oscar winning performance of Dr. Wilber Larch in "The Cider House Rules"....I would say Caine redeemed Alfie as Wilber Larch. Is Alfie a sociopath who is so narcissistic that he sees the women he runs through as "here to somehow please him and his needs only"---or is he just the Typical Male done to a 60's Mercy Beat? Shirley Winters plays in a role that I'm guessing she took relish in. Compare with the Beatles moovy "A Hard Days Night" and the Dustin Hoffman moovy "The Graduate"...
Rating:
Summary: What's it all about~~Alfieeeeeee
Review: A classic from the sixties. My mum used to watch this when I was a toddler. Now, I watch it myself and it's truly one of the best British films ever made. Michael Caine walks you through this film with his thick Cockney accent telling the story of his life. Even though 'Alfie' is obviously a cad and womanizer, you can't help but love him. The film is about a young man and his many 'conquests' in sixties London. Shelley Winters makes an appearance as his older girlfriend. A gem that everyone should own or at least rent once a year.
Rating:
Summary: Michael Caine at his utmost best--sexy, witty and 100% human
Review: Absolutely Michael Caine's best flick ever! Watching ittransports you back to the 60's and you feel the electric current ofthe times and allows you to observe the eloquence of a true British "player." Alfie is handsome, smooth, witty and a bit sad, and the women Alfie pursues are studies in assuagement each and every one. Loved it and you will too!
Rating:
Summary: Michael Caine at his utmost best--sexy, witty and 100% human
Review: Absolutely Michael Caine's best flick ever! Watching ittransports you back to the 60's and you feel the electric current ofthe times and allows you to observe the eloquence of a true British "player." Alfie is handsome, smooth, witty and a bit sad, and the women Alfie pursues are studies in assuagement each and every one. Loved it and you will too!
Rating:
Summary: Michael Caine is excellent in breakthrough 60's role
Review: Alfie is an interesting film: part comedy,part drama, part character study that makes use of an interesting narrative device-Michael Caine addresses the viewer directly and breaks the so called " 4th wall" which is humurous and also refreshing. It is one of the first contemporary films to do this and may in fact be the first one. A year earlier Caine had done the excellent Zulu and now in 1964 paired with his effort in " The Ipcress File", stardom/superstardom beckoned. Caine's performance in Alfie is top notch: he creates a character that we like, are amused by, get angry at and feel sorry for. This is very difficult for an actor to achieve and only the best can pull it off. Alfie is at first glance a buoyant cad, flitting from one affair to the next with little regard for the womans' feelings. It is made clear that he is after sex only and thinks he has no use for love. Most of the liasons are presented in a humurous light but there are several that are very dramatic and will tug at your heart.( In particular there is a wrenching scene where Alfie realizes his responsibility for his girlfriends' abortion) There is also a touching subplot where Alfie TRIES to be a good father to his son from a former girlfrind, but alas the girlfriend wants more than just a "weekend" father and Alfie is pushed to the side as she and a new man form their own family. For Alfie, this is a form of rejection and something he didn't count on- having deep feelings for the little boy. You can feel his regret and pain as he watches his son with the new dad. The tables have turned and now the taker is the taken. This feeling is further driven home by a relationship he has with a rich older woman played by Shelly Winters where things do not work out quite to his expectation. Thus, the story of Alfie is an odyssey of self discovery for a man that never really grew up and has learned at great cost the outcome of his casual lifestyle. The ending I think is optimistic in that it strongly implies Alfie has learned his lesson and will not be doing these selfdestructive and hurtful actions any longer. There is a heartwarming conclusion concerning a lost and lonely dog (that is seen several times in the movie) that will make you smile. The supporting cast is excellent across the board and mesh extremely well and the closing credits montage with CHER(!!!) singing the haunting/sweet/melancholy title tune is sublime. I truely believe that Alfie will appeal to many people and that they will appreciate and enjoy the richly textured performances by all the actors WITH A special nod to Michael Caine.
Rating:
Summary: The enduring sport of pursuing the tenderest prey
Review: Alfie is the quintessential cad. He's so charming and good-looking that foolish birds flutter about him as soon as he speaks. Very few actors have the charisma to effectively pull this kind of magentism off. Michael Caine makes trashing the dreams of his conquests into a veritable science. He knows he doesn't want to have to work for anything these hungry gals will eagerly do for him. He gets good as long as the getting's good--and then he gets out. Of course, this film doesn't let him flit about. He faces danger, terror, and the hurtful side of human existence he's been so desperate to stave off. It gets him like it gets all of us eventually. It is this development that lends Alfie a dash of wisdom to go along with his easy manners and flashy grin. Of course he always had it. It just wasn't useful before. In other words, suffering has allowed him to actually feel like a person. Still, there is no doubt that he's going to give it another go as soon as he sees one he fancies. He isn't reformed. He just went through a rough patch. Birds are his game. Nice suits, decent food, a bit of money. He doesn't have to ever grow up and take responsibility for anything as long as he plays the game the right way. He'll never have to face his Self and what he is really worth. What it means to be alone with nothing to solve it. He's already accepted the emptiness of what he does. His coldness. His fear of their pain. He'll says he's not a wolf, but he devours them just as ravenously as if they were his prey--discarding their carcasses as soon as he's sated his appetite on their white, quivering flesh. Some men were born to be so loved because of not despite their abject cruelty. It is a gift, perhaps. Vivien Merchant ("The Maids", "Accident", "Frenzy") radiates prim carnality as Lily. She is easily the most "proper" lady in the film--and subsequently saddled with a sick husband and three kids. She's too much for Alfie--and far too hungry. Shelley Winters is a scream as the hostess with the mostest. She commands the screen with as much veracity as Caine. Her fangs prove to be a bit too much for Alfie once they are bared. Denholm Elliot as the abortionist has a few minutes of screentime--but he makes the most of them with a solid, commanding turn. This is exquisite entertainment. It gets terribly dark in places but such is life. 5/5. Overall, a fine film.
Rating:
Summary: The enduring sport of pursuing the tenderest prey
Review: Alfie is the quintessential cad. He's so charming and good-looking that foolish birds flutter about him as soon as he speaks. Very few actors have the charisma to effectively pull this kind of magentism off. Michael Caine makes trashing the dreams of his conquests into a veritable science. He knows he doesn't want to have to work for anything these hungry gals will eagerly do for him. He gets good as long as the getting's good--and then he gets out. Of course, this film doesn't let him flit about. He faces danger, terror, and the hurtful side of human existence he's been so desperate to stave off. It gets him like it gets all of us eventually. It is this development that lends Alfie a dash of wisdom to go along with his easy manners and flashy grin. Of course he always had it. It just wasn't useful before. In other words, suffering has allowed him to actually feel like a person. Still, there is no doubt that he's going to give it another go as soon as he sees one he fancies. He isn't reformed. He just went through a rough patch. Birds are his game. Nice suits, decent food, a bit of money. He doesn't have to ever grow up and take responsibility for anything as long as he plays the game the right way. He'll never have to face his Self and what he is really worth. What it means to be alone with nothing to solve it. He's already accepted the emptiness of what he does. His coldness. His fear of their pain. He'll says he's not a wolf, but he devours them just as ravenously as if they were his prey--discarding their carcasses as soon as he's sated his appetite on their white, quivering flesh. Some men were born to be so loved because of not despite their abject cruelty. It is a gift, perhaps. Vivien Merchant ("The Maids", "Accident", "Frenzy") radiates prim carnality as Lily. She is easily the most "proper" lady in the film--and subsequently saddled with a sick husband and three kids. She's too much for Alfie--and far too hungry. Shelley Winters is a scream as the hostess with the mostest. She commands the screen with as much veracity as Caine. Her fangs prove to be a bit too much for Alfie once they are bared. Denholm Elliot as the abortionist has a few minutes of screentime--but he makes the most of them with a solid, commanding turn. This is exquisite entertainment. It gets terribly dark in places but such is life. 5/5. Overall, a fine film.
Rating: 
Summary: ALFIE!
Review: Altoghter now..."What's it all about...ALFIE?" This 1966 film directed by LEWIS GILBERT stars MICHAEL CAINE as Alfie, a wonderfully shallow WOMANIZER who is trying to figure out what life is, well, all about! Actually this is an excellent SATIRE of the SWINGING SCENE in England in the SIXTIES! Also featuring SHELLEY WINTERS and DENHOLM ELLIOTT, along with MILLICENT MARTIN, JULIA FOSTER and JANE ASHER as the women left in Alfie's WAKE! Unfortunately, there are NO EXTRAS besides the trailer on this DVD, because this film deserves more than the bare minimum treatment!
Rating:
Summary: ALFIE!
Review: Altoghter now..."What's it all about...ALFIE?" This 1966 film directed by LEWIS GILBERT stars MICHAEL CAINE as Alfie, a wonderfully shallow WOMANIZER who is trying to figure out what life is, well, all about! Actually this is an excellent SATIRE of the SWINGING SCENE in England in the SIXTIES! Also featuring SHELLEY WINTERS and DENHOLM ELLIOTT, along with MILLICENT MARTIN, JULIA FOSTER and JANE ASHER as the women left in Alfie's WAKE! Unfortunately, there are NO EXTRAS besides the trailer on this DVD, because this film deserves more than the bare minimum treatment!
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