(1966)
4
Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
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While the film has a certain visual flair and a soundtrack by jazz great Sonny Rollins, many viewers will find the film out of date and sexist.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.
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awards for Alfie on AllMovie
Alfie (1966)
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|
Nominated |
Best Actor
|
1966 |
|
Nominated |
Best Adapted Screenplay
|
1966 |
|
Nominated |
Best Picture
|
1966 |
|
Nominated |
Best Song
|
1966 |
|
Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress
|
1966 |
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
|
Nominated |
Best British Film
|
1966 |
|
Won |
Most Promising Newcomer
|
1966 |
Cannes Film Festival
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Won |
Special Jury Prize
|
1966 |
Directors Guild of America
|
Nominated |
Best Director
|
1966 |
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
|
Nominated |
Best Director
|
1966 |
|
Won |
Best Foreign Film - English Language
|
1966 |
|
Nominated |
Best Original Score
|
1966 |
|
Nominated |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
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1966 |
|
Nominated |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
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1966 |
|
Nominated |
Best Screenplay
|
1966 |
National Board of Review
|
Nominated |
Best Picture
|
1966 |
|
Won |
Best Supporting Actress
|
1966 |
National Society of Film Critics