By Ashley Winchester
It looked like springtime in Duane Park this Monday as fake trees and flowers were put up to shoot scenes from “Alfie,” a new film starring Jude Law. The mayor’s office said producers also donated $1,500 to the park.
Despite frigid fall weather, Tribeca’s Duane Park was in full blossom for a few hours Monday morning for the filming of a scene from “Alfie,” a remake of a 1966 romantic comedy. Green leaves were attached to trees and plastic planters with fake flowers lined the sidewalk, which was transformed to look like Soho in the spring.
“It’s beautiful that they’re doing this because it brings business and excitement to the area,” Gina Canty, who works in Tribeca, said. “It’s unbelievable that they actually put fake leaves on trees and make it look like spring. They’re taking up parking spaces which I don’t like, but I get to see celebrities for free.”
Jude Law (“Road to Perdition,” “Enemy at the Gates”) stars as Alfie, a limo driving playboy who begins to wonder if his life is superficial. Law was filmed driving a scooter along Duane St. past sidewalk cafes, street artists and vendors, which were placed there for the scene. One vendor in particular sported a sign for a Soho business, and was serving drinks.
“People watch movies and think this is what New York is really like, and it is in a way, but they made the area look more like Soho than Tribeca,” Julia Mebanu, a Tribeca nanny, said. “It’s very fake, but it’s interesting to see them put up the props and see how they film.”
A security guard working on the film said they would be leaving Tribeca this week to shoot up on 23rd St.
Although the Mayor’s Office of Film does not request extra compensation for shooting on location, “Alfie” producers donated $1500 to Duane Park in exchange for the opportunity to film there, said an office spokesperson.
“We try to encourage them not to incur additional expenses, but in this case they chose to make a donation to the park which will be used at the Parks Department’s discretion,” film office spokesperson Dean McCann said. “Monetarily, just about every business on Duane St. was asked to dress up their shop in some way for the filming and received compensation for this.”
One extra, Jeanne Penniston, who came to the scene at 6:30 a.m. to prepare for the eight hour-long shoot, said she has noticed a recent increase in opportunities as an extra in films shot in downtown locations.
“It’s really good to see film productions coming back to New York,” Penniston said. “For so long after 9/11 there was nothing. This kind of thing is really good for the city.”
