Michael Caine became a breakout star as Alfie, an unrepentant ladies man in the "swinging '60s" era of London, which was undergoing a social revolution at the time, which Alfie takes full advantage of, though it will eventually catch up with him...
Despite the potentially odious nature of the lead character, Michael Caine does succeed in making him charming and even refreshingly honest, as he frequently breaks the fourth wall of the screen by talking to the viewer directly, a risky move that works here because of the free-spirit nature of Alfie, and the supremely talented acting abilities of Michael Caine. Film does take a serious turn, though the change of tone is welcome and works, because, by the end, you realize that beneath it all, Alfie is kind of a sad person, whose casual treatment of women will not serve him well as he gets older...
Despite the potentially odious nature of the lead character, Michael Caine does succeed in making him charming and even refreshingly honest, as he frequently breaks the fourth wall of the screen by talking to the viewer directly, a risky move that works here because of the free-spirit nature of Alfie, and the supremely talented acting abilities of Michael Caine. Film does take a serious turn, though the change of tone is welcome and works, because, by the end, you realize that beneath it all, Alfie is kind of a sad person, whose casual treatment of women will not serve him well as he gets older...