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Preview by: Jack Foley
REMAKES always tend to be hit-and-miss affairs, so it remains
to be seen whether Jude Law can follow up his Oscar-nominated
performance in Cold Mountain,
by playing the lead character in Alfie, a re-imagining of the
classic Michael Caine film, from 1966.
For this modern take on the jovial playboy, the action has been
relocated from London to New York, while some of the darker elements
from the original are said to have been toned down.
The movie finds Law as the eponymous hero, a sexually prolific
Englishman, living in New York City, who prides himself on his
never-ending ability to carry on affairs and one night stands
with several women at once.
Among the women swooning for his Cockney, talk-to-the-camera
charms are Marisa Tomei, Sienna Miller, Susan Sarandon, Jane Krakowski
and Nia Long.
Matters become complicated, however, when one of his latest girlfriends
falls pregnant, forcing him to have to choose between a life of
continued flirting and sex, or that of parental responsibility.
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The film is being directed by Charles
Shyer, who remains best-known for his Father of the Bride movies,
and whose presence seems to confirm that the tone of the movie
will, indeed, be much lighter than the original.
Nevertheless, Law is talking up his role, informing Empire magazine,
earlier this year, that after appearing in a batch of dark, spiritually
searching roles (including Cold Mountain and Road
to Perdition), he was ‘ready to relax’ and was
completely up for playing ‘a philanderer, a guy who is out
for himself’.
And commenting on the nature of the character, himself, the actor
added: "He’s blatantly honest about women.. A great
face, a great body, beautiful breasts – that’s what
interests him. It’s what a lot of men feel."
Certainly, early publicity shots seem to suggest plenty of eye
candy for Law to surround himself with, as well as for the FHM-generation
the project looks to be aimed at.
Interestingly, most of the film was shot in Liverpool last year,
despite the fact that it is set in New York.
The trailer looks to be great fun, with Law trading on the same
sort of suave charisma that helped make a name for himself in
The Talented Mr Ripley, even though much of the content seems
more family-friendly than before.
The film is due for a November 5 release in the UK - but it remains
to be seen what sort of fireworks it lets off.
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