“Liz’s penthouse is the height of decadence - extremely sensual and very luxurious,” says Becher. “The goal was to create a place that would bowl over a guy like Alfie. someone who doesn’t impress easily. In fact, we wanted Liz’s set to be aspirational for Alfie, so that when he reacts with the attitude that he needs to ‘aim higher,’ the audience can relate.”
The owner of her own cosmetic company, Liz is a well-traveled, self-sufficient woman with her own acquired style. According to Becher, Charles Shyer first based his ideas on Liz’s surroundings on Goldie Hawn’s apartment in New York.
“The golden statute of Buddha prominently displayed in the living area is indicative of Liz’s eclectic spiritual background and her worldliness,” Becher points out. “Her taste is also reflected in the exquisite floral arrangements. particularly the green orchids tied to Japanese twisted bamboo. Even the absinthe glassware that Liz uses during one of her most sensual experiences with Allie is a beautiful antique. In fact, it was very important to Charles that Liz’s character truly live up to her expensive tastes, so he even had an absinthe expert on the set for a couple of days to advise the actors on the ritual of drinking the taboo liquor.”
From the thin creme-colored granite panels, accented with black veins that were backlit behind the bar, and the 14-by-lO-foot Plexiglas fireplace made to look like mother-of-pearl. to the 8-by-4-foot. creme-colored imestone bathtub, Liz is definitely living large. On the other end of the spectrum is single-mother Julie (Marisa Tomei), who lives somewhere between Alfie’s sparse lifestyle and Liz’s grand one.
“Marisa wanted her character’s environment to be an expression of her independence, so we decorated it with a tasteful combination of thrift-store items, gifts from friends and things she’s crafted herself.” Becher recalls. “Her place isn’t just a white box. It’s a vivid mix of plum and olive green, and it’s indicative of the mood in the beginning of the film, which starts out bright and vibrant in the Soho area, and ends up quite subdued, like Alfie himself.”
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