Jude Law has revealed his thoughts on the remake of Alfie, which saw him play the titular character in 2004.
The romantic comedy was inspired by Michael Caine's 1966 movie of the same name, and follows a cockney womaniser (Law) who begins to rethink his self-centred, bachelor lifestyle.
Alfie performed poorly, earning slightly more than half of its budget worldwide and receiving disapproval from critics. In an interview with GQ, Law described the movie as a "bad move" for his career.
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"I was in a really strong position [at that time] because I'd just had another [Oscar] nomination on the back of Cold Mountain," he recalled. "And for Alfie to be the film I chose to do quite soon after that, I think was a bad move."
The actor explained that the final cut of the movie was not as gritty as he had imagined. "I just felt it hadn't elevated [the material] and felt a little light, a little too cheesy," he said.
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"I think it was made for too much money, and I was probably paid too much money, which I underestimated at the time. I kicked myself that I'd done something that was leaning into the heartthrob and the charismatic lead and it hadn't worked."
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When asked if the poor reception had knocked his confidence, Law admitted: "Yes, I think it probably did." He added: "Everyone has hits, everyone has flops. But yes, I think it did. It also made me aware that, when you are fresh out of the gate, everyone is intrigued and everyone wants a piece of you.
"And then as soon as you have a couple of misfires, their attention goes elsewhere. And so there's a part of you also thinking, Oh, okay, how do I get that attention back?"
Law ultimately did get the attention back after his hugely successful portrayal of Dane in the 2009 production of Hamlet. The show ran for seven months across the West End and Broadway.
Since then, he has starred in a range of projects from Marvel to Fantastic Beasts, and the upcoming Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which is set to premiere on Disney+ next month.
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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.
