Monday, December 27, 2004
Relax, Don't Think About...
...The Way I Treat You...
Last night Mom and I watched 'Alfie', the 1966 classic that jolted pop culture with its unflinching look at the days and nights of a beautiful but ugly womanizer, and put Michael Caine on the map as the title character. Modernist and episodic, Caine often addresses the audience, a mix of tour guide through, and defense attorney of, his caddish existence, the consequences of which are often stark and grim. In Alfie-speak women are 'birds' and they are often referred to by the pronoun 'it.' Caine is both abrasive and charming in this star-turn, and his stunning looks and (authentic) cockney accent will surprise those, like me, who are more acquainted with Caine's older and wiser work since the 1980s (check out 'Educating Rita' sometime, or 'Hannah and Her Sisters,' or 'Cider House Rules). Finally, Alfie is definitely a period piece, on the eve of the sexual revolution: ten years later, many of these women wouldn't put up with Alfie, and increased promiscuity would make sex easier to come by without deceit. As for the Spanish-language poster above, it lengthens the title to 'Alfie: The Irresistible Seducer' (echoing their lengthening of 'Rebecca: An Unforgettable Woman'), and adds the tag line 'inside every man there's an Alfie,' which certainly sounds more 60s Latin than 60s Anglo...this entry's permalink
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