Not that I feel sorry for people like Jude Law, but it must be kind of tough being impossibly good looking in Hollywood. Guys like Brad Pitt do their best to downplay their looks, hoping to be taken seriously. While such folks occasionally do a film that doesn't trade in on their good looks, they're still likely to remain movie stars, not actors, for the rest of their careers (Robert Redford had to go behind the camera to get some artistic credibility). Then there's guys like Law, who accepts the cruel fate God has bestowed upon him and puts it to good use. We'll never buy him as a hard-ass cop or psycho serial killer, but to coin a cliche, he was born to play guys like the title character in "Alfie," a remake of the 1966 classic.

Alfie is a young, cocky, womanizing chauffeur living in New York. He's not all that ambitious, and is quite happy bedding down as many women as he can, refusing to commit to any of them. Initially, life is great, until his philandering ways begin to hurt those he cares about, and he begins to long for more than the life he has settled for. He sort of has a girlfriend, Julie (Marisa Tomei), but she's a single mom, and that's baggage he doesn't want to deal with. She eventually gets tired of his lack of commitment and calls it quits. His best friend, Marlon (Omar Epps), is having problems with his own girlfriend, Lonette (Nia Long). Alfie doesn't help the situation when he sleeps with her (and ends up pregnant with his child). Alfie's own attempts at long-term relationships backfire when he hooks up with a manic-depressive, and, getting a taste of his own medicine, falls for an older woman (Susan Sarandon) who's even more shallow than he was. Soon, Alfie is questioning his own values about what true, long-term happiness really is. While some changes have been made from the original to reflect modern ideals (and to keep Alfie sympathetic in a more PC era), the plot and theme are pretty-much the same. Alfie narrates his story, addressing us directly at the camera while events unfold, and the film makes a slow, smooth transition from a playful sex comedy to a sobering realization that life means little without a constant companion to share it with. While the overall tone of this version is darker than the original, it still manages to be pretty entertaining (and often quite funny) throughout. Despite his hedonistic ways, Alfie remains a character we root for, and it's fun to witness the various epiphanies about life he reaches during the film. We snicker with him as he jumps from woman to woman, yet even though he deserves what's coming to him, we sympathize when his world crashes down around him, even though he's got no one to blame but himself. The whole cast is good, but the success of the movie hinges on Law's performance, and he pulls it off effortlessly. Normally, addressing the audience directly is a distracting gimmick, but Law manages to overcome such a plot device to make it work. The movie goes on just a little bit too long, but it's an mostly entertaining and insightful look into one person's maturity. It also deserves some kudos for its bittersweet resolution, which is atypical of the usual high-concept fluff thrown at us today.

The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and looks terrific. There's a lot of creative use of color (especially blue tones) in various key scenes, and this transfer preserves them nicely. The soundtrack on this disc is simply outstanding. The terrific music score (by Dave Stewart & Mick Jagger) is well-rendered, but the appropriately place songs do not call undue attention to themselves, becoming part of the story itself.

For a single disc, this release contains a ton of interesting and useful extras. Two full-length commentaries are included; the first features director Charles Shyer & editor Padraic McKinley; the second features Shyer & co-writer/producer Elaine Pope. Of the two, the latter is the most interesting, since Shyer & Pope discuss various changes made in the story from the original. Also included are a slew of short featurettes, covering casting, deconstruction of one of the many Moped scenes, changes made to update the story, and my personal favorite, a 12 minute feature showing Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart & John Powell putting together the terrific film score. Several deleted scenes are also included, along with optional commentary by Shyer & McKinley...interesting, but it's easy to see why they were deleted. The goofy dance number by Gedde Watanabe (with commentary!), caught on camera between takes, is sort of fun. The "round table" discussion of the movie is kind of pointless, but at least it isn't boring. Script, storyboard & production galleries are included, as is the original trailer & previews for other Paramount releases.

As remakes go, "Alfie" works a lot better than most recent ones...it updates characters & details for the 21 st Century, yet still retains the original's theme. It's also pretty entertaining, and certainly makes the most of Jude Law's gifts as an impossibly good looking performer (poor bastard). You gotta appreciate any movie which keeps such a lecherous character in our good graces (much like the original), and watching Law make the most of what God has cursed him with is quite a bit of fun. That, along with great picture & sound transfers, make this disc worth owning.