here‘s a scene in The iii/('le'ri
.Ur Ripley that is one of the
sexiest in recent film history. Jude Law is lying in a bath tub playing chess as steam curls up from the deep. soapy water. ('andle light catches the hard lines of his wet skin and liickers in his eyes. Matt Damon watches in the doorway. The tension is exquisite. and through another man‘s eyes we see a vision of male perfection. Attraction. envy and longng are broken only when Law‘s character cuts the sexual tension. lilting himself ottt of the bath and stropping across the floor. giving us one final glance at a phy'sicality that is blessed. Yes. I am beatttiful and I am completely. absolutely in charge of it. he and his character say.
it shottld come as no surprise. then. that .lude Law has been chosen to play Allie. the charming. selfish. lonely womaniser tnade famous by Michael (‘aine. in a Hollywood remake that transplants the film from London to Manhattan. He‘s good at charming bastards -— jttst look at Bosie in ll'i/(le. Bttt can he get away with this one'.’ (‘aine. with his rough diamond working-class edge. was perfect for the role in loot». whereas l.aw epitomises ottr idea of manhood in the 31st century -- he‘s the essential 'metrosexual‘. ()n the surface. they‘re very different creatures.
Rarely does the camera look at men as objects of pure lttst. in the scene above. however. .lude Law is shown as unearthly. his looks demanding unfettered desire. While women‘s responses are unambiguous. it is more confusing for men. Matt Damon admires. is welcomed but is suddenly rejected. from the genetically perfect (though physically decrepit) .lerome liugene Morrow in (furrum to lnman in (old .llounruin. it is clear that Law. unlike (‘aine. doesn't try to be one of the lads. it‘s why journalists such as The (immliun‘s John Patterson have referred to his ‘annoyingly perfect physical and facial beauty". His charisma. on the other hand. isn‘t in question. If anything. Law risks outshining his co-aetors.
Despite these star qualities. he isn‘t simply a Hollywood star. He is also an exceptional actor. iinergy that sparkles in the jam. bars of The iii/enter] .llr Ripley shifts into cold reserve in
20 THE LIST 13“ Oct 30.“.
YOU PRETTY THING
Acting up as Alfie is JUDE LAW’s latest job. He may be talented and he may be prolific but, Ruth Hedges argues, it’s impossible to ignore the way this man looks.
(iii/tum. bleeds into epic strength in ('u/i/ .llomitum and creeps into chilling sickness as an assassin/phott)grapher in Road In I’r’l'riilirtll. 'i‘itis \L‘l‘saiiiily is only increasing: indeed. six l.aw films are coming ottt before Christmas. Admittedly they've been made o\ er a two-year period and Law talks about how it‘s ‘just my luck‘ for them to be released in one go. it still indicates a man in the highest demand.
('ttrrently' starring in action/sci-fi
flick .S'lxy‘ (ii/Hui)! um! l/tr’ ll'ur/r/ of
'Iirmurmw and due to appear in I v llui'ku/wm. (loser and Martin ScorseseK iloward Hughes biopic 'Iili' .-\t‘iulnr. his performance in the remaking of Allie is by far the most interesting. \Vhen Alfie appeared on film screens in the His. he was a shock. He was a character that audiences had never seen before an anti—hero who told the honest. often ugly truth. Allie
JUDE LAW IS SHOWN AS AN UNEARTHLY BEING WHOSE LOOKS DEMAND UNFETTERED DESIRE
was an icon. (‘an a man known for perfection successfully update such a deeply flawed character for the new millennium'.’
The arrogance. charm. and misogyny in Allie represented the best and worst of the ()(is. Boundaries were broken but free love wasn‘t always sweet liberation. it was backstreet abortions and respect was a notion reserved for a few. The way Allie spoke directly to the camera was unusual for mainstream cinema (although it had been used in scriptwriter Bill Naughton's stage play of the same name). it was one of the first films to deal with abortion so explicitly and prompted a relaxation of the censorship laws in the [’8. it also signalled the increasing contidence of working-class youth. Director Lewis (iilben has said: ‘A/fie is rooted in the swinging ()(ls. Suddenly young people were the centre of the world — not 30 or 4()-year-olds.‘
Law's next four films are all released before Christmas...
I 0 Huckabees
Bonkers satire of the American way from David Three Kings 0 Russell. Law plays the baddie. Released 26 November.
The Aviator
Martin Scorsese's big screen biopic of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes stars Leonardo DiCaprio. Law will be brightening up proceedings with his impression of Errol Flynn. Released 26 December.
, _
Closer Director Mike The Graduate Nichols' screen version of Patrick Marber's superb play. Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen (pictured below) also star. Released 14 January 2005.
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Weird kiddies' film based on the popular books. Law provides the voice of the tall, bendy protagonist. Released I7 December. (Paul Dale)
its premiere at the l’Ia/a gathered together the Beatles. the Stones and (ieorgc Best. You suspect that at this year's premiere the celebs will be less rock‘n'roll now that the people at the centre of the world are teenagers controlled by St) ot' 40-year-olds. .ioss Stone is to sing the opening song. originally written by Burt Bacharach.
But .lttde l.aw isn‘t so sure how far things have moved on. ‘\\'e felt there was room to rc—eyaluate the sexual kind of territory of today.' he say s. "The idea that (‘itat‘les Shyer [the director of the new film] really sold me on was the idea that this type of gtty hasn't changed since the I‘)()()s. There are these kind of gtty s. who only have sex on the brain. still out there. We're all. if were honest. still thinking like that and feel like that.‘ law says. ‘lt's all the British mods and .-\merican jocks in as men. It's still sex. sex. sex. Yet. the women have changed a huge amount. so the stakes between men and women have been raised.‘
In the original all the women apart from Shelley Winters (Ruby) are wholly passive. Allie behaves the way he does because he gets away with it.
'()ur film still has the same twist of morality and inner questioning that the original had.‘ l.aw says. ‘But we decided on a slightly tnore comical take on the story and where he's not a total idiot and clueless when it comes to other people‘s feelings.‘ This is a more self-aware Allie without the underscoring sadness. then. It is a very Y2K way of doing things I'IHM rather than top shelf a with irony smoothing over the rough edges. But if Hollywood wants to do it this way then Jude Law is your man. By setting it in Manhattan. playing up the comical side and bringing in more ballsy women (Stisan Sarandon. ()mar lipps) Alfie will be a different tale. Jude Law can be trusted to handle it with the panache audiences love him for.
As he turns to the camera. looks straight down the lens and winks knowingly: 'l am Allie; I’m a blessed man.' you know that it‘s true. And we will be staring right back at him.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is on general release now. Alfie is on general release from Fri 22 Oct.