Alfie

So Alfie, what's it all about? Well, operating with a very different agenda to the hordes of cuddly boy-meets-girl date movies out there (you know; Hugh Grant, Sugababes soundtrack, London setting), director and co-writer Charles Shyer updates Lewis Gilbert's sort-of landmark original as something more concerned with alpha-male analysis than last-minute happy endings. Though from the outside it could easily be mistaken for a typical romance flick, aside from one or two ingredients (Jude Law, Jude Law in a vest, Jude Law without a vest…) this isn’t one for the ladies.

Alfie Elkins (Law) is a happy-go-lucky womaniser who hops from one girl's bed to another with no desire to form a permanent attachment. However, after a series of mishaps - which includes sleeping with his best mate's (Omar Epps) girlfriend (Nia Long) and a health scare - he starts to realise he might be going about life all wrong.

Males of a certain disposition will find themselves nodding in knowing recognition at the mountains of spot-on bloke cynicisms, doing for 'players' what Peep Show does for the slightly-weird. Any guy who likes the commitment-free life will find a worship-worthy icon in Law's titular mega-stud (particularly during the first half hour) while constantly feeling like many of his truthful views (the FBB principle, obligatory cuddling, the 'Uh-oh moment'...) have been plucked from their own subconscious.

With retro female hairdos and lots of little touches like the Vesper moped, it's obvious that Shyer respects Gilbert's first version. However, though we still get the to-the-camera conversations and the same serious issues (abortion, losing your manhood), changes are both inevitable and necessary since times have a' changed. Switching the action from grimy Sixties London to hip Noughties New York, the feel is more of a metrosexual lad’s mag, while equal opportunities and sexual disease concern loom large.

As for the unfeasibly-chiselled Law, he's the perfect choice to fill Michael Caine's designer boots. A fantastic career move, Alfie allows the Judester to combine his smouldering looks, natural charisma and underrated acting chops into something that'll simultaneously get the girls' pulses racing while remaining likeable (or, realistically, heroic) to the boys. No, he's not as hard, cold or in control as Caine was (making the denouement feel different), but the updated Alfie Elkins charms the pants off everything from his landlady to the camera itself.

Elsewhere the women in the cast do well despite being there merely to exist as types. Jane Krakowski is the attractive bootycall, Marisa Tomei the girlfriend material who just isn't superficial enough, Sienna Miller the unstable stunner...and so on. Best of all though is Susan Sarandon as the mature totty who just refuses to let age stop her being hot. Talk about art imitating life…

Not for everyone perhaps, but those of a certain mindset will find Alfie speaks to them with an unnerving amount of truth. What's it all about? Well, we're all still trying to figure that one out...