Alfie Special Edition DVD Review

In Stores March 15

The producers of Alfie have put together an awesome collection of extras for a DVD, all on one disc no less. Too many to go through them all, here are the highlights:

Gedde Watanabe’s Dance Scene – A totally random moment of a supporting actor going wild, set to the film’s theme song no less!

Deconstruction of a Scene – An in-depth look at what looks like a simple scene of Alfie driving around the city. Here we get to see how many different locations were actually used, and even special effects. Really makes you appreciate what went into the film’s intense visual style even for simple scenes.

Deleted Scenes – The one that got me was Marisa Tomei’s ex-boyfriend with the pear. What a fabulous look inside the supporting character. I would have liked to see this in the movie. The rest are some interesting philosophical bits and camera address gags that ultimately pushed the technique too far, so they’re not lost in the film. An extra scene with Sienna Miller’s ex is intense, but also ultimately unnecessary.

Round Table – This discussion with the filmmakers goes in depth in a short time on some important subjects regarding the film. They totally explain the rules of direct camera address, portraying the changes of seasons (and the film’s tone simultaneously), adjusting the locations, the billboard messages in the film, the very genre of the film and more.

You can also go in depth with the world, the women and the music of Alfie, as well as listen to two complete feature length commentaries. It’s an underrated film that deserves some attention and it’s great that they included all of this material for those who discover the film on DVD.