Charade (1963)

You won't be disappointed!

Simply A Masterpiece

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It is really unusual to find an excellent, big-budget movie like "Charade" (1963) in the $2 DVD bin. Put it down to the fact that copyright was not renewed when it expired in 1991. Thus the movie is now available worldwide on at least thirteen different labels. Even when compressed, the DVD quality still rates at around 8/10 on most labels. And at least three of them feature excellent transfers that will cost you no more than two dollars.An exciting blend of mystery and romance, with a few comic touches thrown in, this Parisian-set, Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant vehicle comes to a really suspenseful climax on the Metro and in a deserted theater. Stanley Donen's direction of this "Charade" is always right on the ball, and if George Kennedy's villain doesn't frighten you out of your lethargy, you may need to take a refresher course in movie menace.

I first saw charade when I was 14. I had found it amongst a few surviving video tapes in my parents bedroom. I was playing hooky that day, and I decided to see the movie. I dragged my father's ancient VCR out of the storage room and started the film. Of course at first I was bored. I was used to seeing modern crap, but then before I knew it I was pissing on the cowling. I had fallen in love with the film. Charade is a forgotten Masterpiece, it has a stellar cast, (screen legends Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Mathua), great characterization, and of course a great plot. Those of you who have seen Cary Grant films know that normally he's the romantic guy, but in this film hes multi layered and puts on a very dynamic performance. The cinematography is futuristic, the music is cool and gives you this eerie feeling. Hitchcock's overrated north by Northwest is utter crap compared to this!!!!!!

Audrey, Audrey--can't get (by now ancient) Cary to return her advances. He's obviously too embarrassed to get into a convo with her about the sexual inadequacies of elderly men. Cary looks like he's just doing a read through with the script around a table. He's not committed. He's relying on his humor to help him survive the filming. He's so tired looking--in fact, for most of the film he has a wan, grey pallor to his skin. Poor Audrey is flitting between murderers after her lost treasure while the audience waits for something to happen. The best actor is the little kid ("I berrcccchhhied it in zee gahden!"). Kennedy's fake hook hangs way too long for his body and he is prone to overacting. I like Coburn's cords. Between Audrey's breath (she was a chain smoker) and Grant's Polident odor, the kissing is rather bland and I'd say must've been tasteless. It's difficult to deep kiss a person with dentures. The scenery is great though. Aaaaaah, Paree!

A woman finds she knew even less than she thought about her secretive and recently murdered husband. Worse yet, it seems he had twice-stolen money; both the authorities and his former accomplices want it back. But when more people start dying, who can she really trust?.As I write this, there are already 263 reviews on IMDb for this film. It is unlikely that I have anything entirely novel to say about it, yet I still feel compelled to give my impressions of this excellent film, having just seen it for about the fifth time.Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn are excellent here; despite his advancing years Grant is pretty spry and Hepburn is as lovely as ever, if painfully skinny-looking.Comparisons are made with Hitchcock films, and not without some justification; Cary Grant rushing around under an assumed identity, helping a beautiful woman involved in a mystery, it is reminiscent of 'North by Northwest'.But this film is really its own thing. The dialogue is so sharp and witty, particularly in the first half of the film; it is difficult to imagine anyone else saying those lines. (BTW this feeling is in no way diminished by the idiotic and lacklustre 'truth about charlie' remake). There are even a few goofy moments and sight gags too (such as when Inspector Grandpierre is watching the Punch and Judy show; I missed that before).There really isn't an on-screen moment wasted, and as it goes on the film's pace and seriousness both increase to a crescendo. I won't spoil it for the first time viewer, but you really are kept guessing, right up to the end.Weirdly this film is in the public domain because of a copyright marking cock-up. My advice is -if watching a video/DVD- to get the best quality version you can find; this film deserves it.