Alfie is a film about a man who is a womaniser. It was a breakthrough film, as it approached many taboo topics that had not previously been explored in British cinema. These issues include casual sex, adultery and abortion. It is very controversial in its frequent mentions of these things, and also it's portrayal of women and typical gender roles. It was released in 1966, during the height of the 'Swinging Britain' era, but shows a contrast to what we usually expect of this decade. Instead we are presented with quite a dark film; with its realistic and gritty settings and its sinister depiction of women's place in society. I thought it an interesting film, especially with its unusual technique of the main protaganist of breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience. However, I found it hard to connect to the character of Alfie because, to be frank, he's not very likeable! I also thought that overall, Michael Caine was quite dry in his portrayal of the role- if he was more charming, I feel that I may have enjoyed the film more so. I also didn't like the way they talked about women. One scene that annoyed me in particular was when Alfie kept referring to his latest lover as 'it' rather than 'her'. I understand that this depiction was made so as to establish the nature of Alfie's character, but I couldn't help but find it offensive. I do think that in some parts, the film showed great skill in how the narrative was presented, which left it with a real poignancy. One such instance of this was after Alfie helped a lover of his get an illegal abortion, and he feels remorse over it. Another element that I did like was the score- I thought it shaped the film beautifully, and was used well and sparingly. In my opinion, this film was good in a technical sense, but wasn't all that enjoyable to me. I'd watch it again, but I don't really feel compelled to.
