Alfie

Alfie (1966) is a British comedy-drama you can watch online on iFILM — directed by Lewis Gilbert, written by Bill Naughton from his own stage play. Michael Caine plays a London chauffeur who moves through women with the breezy confidence of someone who has never questioned whether his lifestyle costs anything.

The structure depends on Alfie talking directly to camera. Every aside is witty, every justification smooth — and each one slowly adds up to a portrait of someone with a very shallow idea of other people as full human beings. Shelley Winters, Vivien Merchant, Julia Foster and Jane Asher each get a scene that cuts through whatever Alfie thinks he's doing.

The film picked up five Academy Award nominations in 1967, including Best Picture and Best Actor. Caine was 33, fresh off Zulu, and this is the performance that showed his full range. Stream Alfie (1966) online on iFILM.