Alfie and the City
Jude Law Does Michael Caine Proud in this Sexy Romp
By Cherie Saunders

A British playboy in New York gets caught in his own web of womanizing in this remake of the 1966 Michael Caine classic. Alfie Elkins (Jude Law) is a handsome man about town who enjoys wooing the ladies. His conquests include Julie (Marisa Tomei), a single mom; Liz (Susan Sarandon), a sexy socialite; and Lonette (Nia Long), the girlfriend of his best buddy Marlon (Omar Epps).

The Manhattan bachelor earns a living as a limousine driver, but during his off time, he zips around town on a motor scooter visiting his stable of women while successfully avoiding emotional attachment. His perfect world starts to unravel upon news that he has gotten one of his ladies pregnant. A sudden health scare staggers him a bit, but rejection from a mistress who prefers a younger man sends the one-time charmer down a path of isolation and loneliness.

Law gives another sparkling performance in this breezy-styled romp throughout New York City. Director Charles Shyer moves briskly with stylish editing that accents a lively ensemble cast. Alfie looks directly into the camera to offer insight and asides about his bedmates, a usually-annoying gimmick that actually works here as a perfect compliment to his brash personality. Toward the end, however, Alfie’s to-the-camera musings become unnecessarily preachy.

For Law, this follow-up to recent lead roles in I Heart Huckabees and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, further cements him as a true Hollywood star. Humorous, thoughtful and very much New York, Alfie bubbles with solid performances and loads of panache.