The slightest inkling of remaking Alfie is vile enough in itself, but the fact that someone has actually gone and done it, with Jude Law (likable though he is) cavorting among all the DOLLYBIRDS! of NEW YORK CITY! inspires me to throw up on a regular basis. It's not only a sin to try and improve upon Alfie (let's be adults, that's what they set out to do) in terms of performance or story or gestalt, but its score! Oh! I sigh just to think about it. Dave Stewart and Mick Jagger, my butt. The Alfie score by Sonny Rollins (with Oliver Nelson) is an absolute impeccable genius work of swagger and sensitivity, the first (along with Bernard Herrmann's Taxi Driver) to make me truly appreciate the art of film scoring as a kid. I guess I have my mom to thank for that. Thanks, Mom! This Impulse! release doesn't include any renditions of the ubiquitous "Alfie" vocal theme; I don't think there was one when the movie was first cut (most versions I've seen feature Rollins' score exclusively) but the definitive version is by Cher and don't you forget it. It's strangely hard to find (I have it on a crappy Castle-variety compilation), but some cuts of the movie play it over the end credits and it'll just make you cry, I swear. (iTunes: Alfie by Sonny Rollins)
Yes! When I recently (oh man, that could have been two years ago) watched Alfie on cable, they had Cher over the credits. It was magic.
Posted by: Jane at November 5, 2004 06:13 PM