Let's be real: remaking a Michael Caine classic is basically a cinematic suicide mission. When Charles Shyer decided to take on the 1966 icon, people weren't just skeptical—they were sharpening their knives. But looking back at the cast of Alfie 2004 now, it’s wild how much talent was packed into that glossy, Manhattan-centric reboot. It wasn't just Jude Law smoldering at a camera lens for two hours. It was a calculated, high-fashion exploration of loneliness masked by beautiful people.
Jude Law was at the absolute peak of his "Golden Boy" era here. He had that specific, untouchable charisma that made you believe he could talk his way out of a speeding ticket and into a stranger's bed in the same breath. But the movie lives or dies on the women who eventually stop putting up with his nonsense. You've got Jane Krakowski, Marisa Tomei, Nia Long, and Susan Sarandon. That is a heavy-hitting lineup. They weren't just "love interests." They were mirrors.
The Man in the Center: Jude Law as the Modern Narcissist
It’s easy to dismiss Law’s performance as just "being handsome." Honestly, that’s a mistake. He had the impossible task of making a serial womanizer likable enough that we’d follow him through a mid-life crisis that starts at thirty. In the 1966 version, Caine was colder, a bit more cynical. Law plays Alfie Elkins with a desperate, frantic need to be liked. You can see the cracks in the veneer every time he stares into the fourth wall.
He lost weight for the role to look more "scrappy New York chauffeur" and less "Hollywood elite." It worked. There’s a frantic energy to his movement. Whether he's adjusting his pink shirt or zipping through traffic on a Vespa, he’s a man running away from the realization that he has no soul.
The Women Who Actually Carry the Movie
If you look at the cast of Alfie 2004, the narrative weight actually sits with the women. Alfie is static; they are the ones who evolve.
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Take Marisa Tomei as Julie. She plays a single mother who represents the "safe" option Alfie eventually realizes he wants but doesn't deserve. Tomei brings this grounded, exhausted warmth to the role. She’s the only one who looks like she actually lives in the real world. When she finally shuts the door on him, it’s the first real punch to the gut the audience feels. It’s not a melodrama; it’s just a woman choosing her kid over a guy who can’t commit to a lunch date.
Then there's Susan Sarandon as Liz.
Iconic.
She plays a high-end cosmetics mogul who is essentially the female version of Alfie. When they get together, it’s not a romance; it’s a collision. Sarandon plays Liz with a predatory grace that completely unnerves Alfie. The power dynamic shift in the final act—where she chooses a younger man (played by Kevin Rahm) over Alfie—is the ultimate irony. He gets "Alfie-d." Sarandon’s performance is a masterclass in being cold without being a villain. She’s just playing by the rules Alfie invented.
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The Breakdown of the Supporting Players
- Nia Long (Lonette): She plays the girlfriend of Alfie’s best friend, Marlon. Her arc is the darkest part of the film. The fallout from their brief encounter is what finally forces Alfie to look at the wreckage he leaves behind. Long plays the guilt with such intensity that it almost feels like it belongs in a different, heavier movie.
- Jane Krakowski (Dorie): Before she was Jenna Maroney, she was the "bored housewife" archetype here. She brings a frantic, hilarious, yet deeply sad energy to her scenes. She’s the warning sign Alfie ignores.
- Sienna Miller (Nikki): This was the role that shot her into the stratosphere, for better or worse. Playing a party girl with untreated mental health issues, Miller had to balance being "fun" with being genuinely unstable. It’s a messy performance, but intentionally so. It reflects the chaotic headspace of someone Alfie thinks he can "fix" but eventually just abandons when things get too real.
Why This Specific Cast Worked (And Why Critics Were Wrong)
Critics at the time called it "style over substance." They weren't entirely wrong about the style part. The cinematography is gorgeous, the costumes are immaculate, and the Mick Jagger/Dave Stewart soundtrack is top-tier. But the substance is buried in the performances.
The cast of Alfie 2004 had to navigate a script that was trying to modernize a sexist 60s premise for a post-Sex and the City audience. That’s a hard needle to thread. The reason it holds up is that the movie doesn't reward Alfie. By the end, he’s literally standing alone on a bridge, talking to nobody. The actors playing the women in his life ensured that his isolation felt earned.
Omar Epps, playing Marlon, is the unsung hero here. He provides the only moral compass in Alfie's life. Their friendship feels lived-in. When Marlon leaves New York to start a real life, you feel Alfie’s world shrinking. It’s a subtle performance in a movie that is often very loud.
The Legacy of the 2004 Remake
Is it better than the original? No. Michael Caine’s Alfie is a landmark of British cinema. But the 2004 version is a fascinating time capsule of mid-2000s New York aesthetics and the "metrosexual" craze. It’s a movie about the hollowness of the "hookup culture" before apps even existed.
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The chemistry between the leads was palpable—partly because Jude Law and Sienna Miller actually started dating during filming, which sparked a tabloid frenzy that arguably overshadowed the movie itself. But if you strip away the paparazzi stories, the acting remains solid.
Notable Cameos and Small Roles
You might have forgotten that Jeff Goldblum has a tiny, uncredited voice role, or that Gedde Watanabe (Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles) pops up as a wingman of sorts. Even the smaller roles were cast with people who had specific, quirky energy. It kept the world from feeling like a generic rom-com set.
What You Should Do Next
If you haven't seen it in a decade, go back and watch the scenes between Law and Sarandon. They are the highlight of the film.
- Audit the Soundtrack: Seriously, the Jagger and Stewart collaboration won a Golden Globe for a reason. "Old Habits Die Hard" is a genuine banger that perfectly captures the movie's vibe.
- Compare the Ending: Watch the final five minutes of the 1966 version and the 2004 version back-to-back. The 2004 ending is arguably more cynical because Alfie knows exactly what he’s lost, whereas Caine’s Alfie seems more perplexed by his own emptiness.
- Check out the Cinematography: Notice how the color palette changes. It starts in vibrant, saturated tones and slowly bleeds out into greys and cold blues as Alfie’s life falls apart.
The cast of Alfie 2004 took a risky project and turned it into a character study that is much deeper than its fashion-magazine exterior suggests. It’s a reminder that even "unnecessary" remakes can offer something unique when the casting director knows exactly what they're doing.