MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Michael Caine's first starring role was a foray into dramatic irony, scripted by Bill Naughton from his novel and play. Alfie (Caine) is a charming, rogueish Cockney who cannot get his fill of women. He uses them without shame or malice, jumping from one promiscuous female's bed to another without much thought or feeling. Of course, Alfie's not as carefree as he would have the audience -- to whom he often speaks directly -- think: he treats his pregnant, common-law wife, Gilda (Julia Foster), quite shabbily, and has an affair with a married woman (Vivien Merchant) that leaves her pregnant, for which Alfie arranges an abortion. In the end, Alfie never finds lasting meaning or pleasure but remains an unrepentant, if low-class, Don Juan. Caine was Oscar-nominated for his performance. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: English
• Features:
  • Theatrical trailer

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Actor - 1966 (Michael Caine)
•     Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay - 1966 (Bill Naughton)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1966 (Lewis Gilbert)
•     Nominated Best Song - 1966 (Burt Bacharach, Hal David)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress - 1966 (Vivien Merchant)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Most Promising Newcomer - 1966 (Vivien Merchant)
•     Nominated Best British Film - 1966 (Lewis Gilbert)

• Cannes Film Festival

•     Won Special Jury Prize - 1966

• Directors Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Director - 1966 (Lewis Gilbert)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Foreign Film - English Language - 1966
•     Nominated Best Director - 1966 (Lewis Gilbert)
•     Nominated Best Original Score - 1966 (Burt Bacharach, Hal David)
•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - 1966 (Michael Caine)
•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic - 1966 (Vivien Merchant, Shelley Winters)
•     Nominated Best Screenplay - 1966 (Bill Naughton)

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 1966 (Vivien Merchant)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1966

• National Society of Film Critics

•     Won Best Actor - 1966 (Michael Caine)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Lewis Gilbert

• Producer:

  Lewis Gilbert

• Screenwriter:

  Bill Naughton

• Play Author:

  Bill Naughton

• Cinematographer:

  Otto Heller

• Composer (Music Score):

  Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Sonny Rollins

• Editor:

  Thelma Connell

• Production Designer:

  Peter Mullins

REVIEW:

• Lewis Gilbert's Alfie made quite a splash upon release in 1966, garnering good reviews and six Academy Award nominations. While the film has a certain visual flair and a soundtrack by jazz great Sonny Rollins, many viewers will find the film out of date and sexist. This English film is still enlightening to watch because of Michael Caine's portrait of Alfie (his first starring roll), a self-centered, fun-loving English chap who, because of his harsh treatment of women, is mostly unsympathetic. He attempts to win the viewer's sympathy nonetheless, with the novel technique of addressing the camera directly. Of course, much of his folly is meant to be ironic; at some point, Gilbert seems to suggest, sexual conquests are unfulfilling. While Alfie does pay a price for his indulgences, he never changes and never develops a lasting relationship. Alfie represents the rare '60s film that attempts to examine the consequences of the sexual revolution, candidly covering the subjects of pregnancy and abortion. Gilbert also directed several James Bond films, and he renewed his association with Michael Caine for 1983's Educating Rita. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi