Reading the other reviews made me wonder if this is the type of movie only certain people like. I went to this movie with a group of my female friends expecting another annoying and boring romantic comedy. I personally didn't want to see it much because I deplore the values presented in so many movies, but the fact that I love Jude Law swayed me. I was very surprised to find that Alfie really isn't much of a romantic comedy. Yes, it is somewhat funny and it is about romance, but if you forced me to describe it I'd have to tag it with 'philosophical social satire.' No, I'm not tagging this as a substitute for Rousseau, but people familiar with satires might find it along the lines of Thackeray's Vanity Fair, Provost's Manon Lescaut, or Petroniu's Satyricon. Though admittedly not of the same caliber the themes of the emptiness of those immersed in 'immorality' and the innate human desire for satisfying relationships are portrayed admirably. I can call this satire though only of my own interpretations- in my opinion this movie ridicules Alfie's immoral lifestyle quite satirically. No matter what your interpretation, I don't see how this movie could be seen as glamorizing his lifestyle. Let me tell you that I was not laughing when I walked out of the theater and there were parts of this movie that made me shed tears. You don't need an appreciation of satire to enjoy this movie though- Law's acting is amazing and he's also gorgeous, the story interested most of my friends and I, and the cinematography is very chic. While it's by no means perfect, I think it deserves the 3.5/4 stars the Chicago Tribune gave it.
Review of Alfie
