Stars: Jude Law, Susan Sarandon, Graydon Carter, Julienne Davis, Omar Epps, Anastasia Griffith, Edward Hogg

Director: Charles Shyer

Summary: A serial womaniser begins to question his lifestyle.

Jude Law stars in this trenchant dramatic-comedy, a remake of the 1966 British counterculture classic that launched the career of Michael Caine. This version is set in New York City and is pumped up with giddy, cleverly experimental editing. The story has Alfie (Law), a Don Juan-esque limo driver, speaking directly to the camera as he seduces the lovely ladies of the city. Eventually he's forced to take stock of the damage he's caused, and acknowledge the emptiness at the core of his chosen lifestyle. Playing the role of Alfie requires a fine balancing act from Law--he must be so charming that he seduces both the audience and himself, while also conveying the self-delusion and sadness at the character's core--and Law is up for the challenge, expertly conveying glimpses of the unfathomed depth beneath his polished shallowness. Equally good are his array of conquests, including Marisa Tomei as a single mom, Sienna Miller as a mood-swinging party girl, and Susan Sarandon as a rich older woman. A soundtrack by Mick Jagger and David Stewart (Eurythmics) adds liberal dollops of self-aware rock-and-roll melancholy. Dick Latessa is great as an old man who offers Alfie some sage advice, and Omar Epps plays the screwed-over limo driving buddy.

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Expanded from a one-act stage play by Noel Coward, Brief Encounteris without doubt one of the true masterpieces of British film history. The story seems slight--a respectable suburban housewife has a chance meeting with a handsome married doctor, their friendship becomes romance, but they feel the pressures of convention pulling their relationship apart--but the writing, acting and direction are sublime, turning what might have been just another melodrama into a memorable and heartbreaking story of impossible love. David Lean went on to make much bigger films than this, but few of those epics packed the emotional punch of this picture, set in a mundane world of railway stations, semi-detached houses and inexpensive cafes. Trevor Howard is perfectly cast as Alec, the doctor, but the film belongs above all to Celia Johnson, as the heroine Laura. It's easy to mock her clipped ultra-English accent, but she gives one of the greatest screen performances imaginable, brilliantly evoking how an ordinary life can be turned upside down by unexpected passion. Throw in the superb use of Rachmaninov's swooning Second Piano Concerto, shrewd supporting acting from Cyril Raymond, Joyce Carey and Everley Gregg, and some of the best black-and-white photography of its era, and the result is irresistible. Anyone who isn't besotted with Brief Encounterhas either never been in love, or doesn't deserve to be. --Andy Medhurst

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Subtitles:	English
Year:	2004
Release Date:	February 21, 2005
Runtime:	101 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	P H E 8650
Keywords:	Alfie, Comedy, General, Wide, Screen, Drama
Genre:	Drama