Alfie, el seductor irresistible

This is a seriously good comedy. Michael Caine is delightfully saucy as the title character. He ought to seem a cad, and at times he is, but he takes his lumps too, and takes them in stride. The supporting cast is very effective, with especially excellent performances by Jane Asher, Shelley Winters and Millicent Martin. The camera work is also notable, and London serves as an effective backdrop. Definitely worth a look, and a reminder Michael Caine was as good then as he is now.

This movie has long been one of my favorites. It is one of the few quintessentially "60's" movies, using filming methods that were quite unusual at the time (the direct dialogue between the main character and the audience, for example). While its style is clearly confined to that era, and England in particular, its subject matter is profoundly universal.

The subjects of love and devotion, or more accurately their opposites, philandering and infidelity, are treated with a unique sensitivity in the script. Michael Caine is at once both lovable and detestable, perfectly characterizing the age-old dynamic between the need for love and the need for physical pleasure. But this is not a feel-good movie, it is a movie that explores the difficult decisions that confront a person as they mature in both life and love, and it conveys the basic feelings that are present in all human beings, regardless of outward appearances.

I would recommend this as a thought-provoking exploration of human nature.

Michael Caine plays Alfie, a hipster swinger in 1960s London whose attitudes and actions we abhor even as we warm to the twinkle in his eye.

Caine plays the role just right. The movie would go nowhere if he wasn't able to make us understand what about Alfie attracts women despite his treatment of them. The film has noble ambitions, and explores some pretty dark (and for the time, edgy) terrain, when Alfie's antics catch up with him and he leaves one of his conquests (played quietly by Vivien Merchant) in the hands of a sleazy abortionist. The look on Caine's face when he returns to his apartment and sees the aborted fetus, visual confirmation of his callous disregard, was enough on its own to earn him the Oscar nomination he received for this film.

Much of the marketing for "Alfie" positions it as a gay romp through the swinging 60s, but it's actually quite a bitter little pill to swallow, and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

With Shelley Winters as a blowsy American who's as good at playing Alfie as he is her.

Grade: B+

If you've never seen a Michael Caine movie, or if you only know him from his white-haired roles, you need to start with Alfie, the movie that propelled him to stardom and made him an instant heartthrob. He made his Cockney accent famous and inspired thousands of imitations through the decades, and even though he actually toned down his naturally thick accent for the movie, his co-star Shelley Winters didn't know what he was saying while they were filming! Incidentally, this was the first Shelley Winters movie I saw, and I have always thought of her as cute, fun, and frisky, even though that's not the persona most people associate with her.

In Alfie, Michael Caine plays the ultimate cad. He has an endless supply of women at his disposal, even though he treats them like garbage and refuses to commit to any of them. He's a sarcastic, flippant young man, and even when he gets one of his girlfriends pregnant, he refuses to marry her-which, in 1966, was not respectable behavior. However, as villainous as he seems, he manages to charm the audience with his constant talking to the camera and adorable aura. The audience thinks he's despicable, but desperately wants him to see the error of his ways and repent, so they're invested in him and the film.

It's a very adult story, so even though Michael cracks jokes to the audience, it's a pretty heavy film. I don't want to give anything away, but particularly religious audiences might want to avoid this movie. If you do decide to watch it, you'll probably be very glad you did. Not only is it one of the most famous flicks of the 60s, but you'll get to hear the origin of Burt Bacharach's memorable title song, and you'll gain a new celebrity boyfriend. I actually wrote Michael Caine a fan letter when I was in high school and told him I thought he was exceptionally dreamy.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to some upsetting adult content, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

This is one of Caines best films and proof that with the right material he can be a very good actor. The story is based on the popular 1960's British theme of human emotions and how the central character faces up to their shortcomings. Alfie, the character, is a dinosaur by today's standards, but there were, and still are men who behave in this way. The film broke new bounds at this time, particularly with the abortion scene. It is said that many cinema-goers walked out in disgust at this harrowing point in the film. How times change. Denholm Elliot's short performance as the sleazy abortionist is worth a mention here as it captures the filthiness of the moment perfectly.

In fact all the supporting roles are excellent. As a period 1960's piece, the film is almost flawless and Sonny Rollins' jazzy soundtrack is beautiful. The ending of the film is very moving with Caine summing up his life and the arty end credits being run whilst Cher sings Burt Bacharach's "Alfie" theme tune. Watch it and your views on life will change.