The Truth About Charlie (2002)

Powerful

Please don't spend money on this.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Okay I understand that there are a lot of die hard 'Charade' fans out there and I can totally sympathize with you. My devotion to Audrey Hepburn is the reason why I put this movie off for so long. I caved a couple of nights ago and found myself watching a throughly entertaining movie. I realized whilst watching the film that I was not watching for a 'Charade' remake but a whole new movie altogether. I understand that the remake thing is getting old now, but that's how all art is formed. Think of the novel; think of how many novel have been modeled and copied Don Quixote, and they were often good novels as well. So I think instead of viewing remakes as simply that; a remake. We should be watching it as an entirely new film that hasn't been made yet.

I've got no love for remakes and don't care who knows it. Sure, there are a number of truly great remakes such as Bogey's The Maltese Falcon (anyone who doesn't know that's the third version of the Hammett novel needs to check it out) and Scorsese's current The Departed.However, as the kids say, most remakes suck and this one sure beats the cake in that department.It's too bad because Thandie Newton is really developing into a great actress and Mark Wahlberg sure is on the upswing, but this atrocity sure as heck doesn't do either of them justice. Putting those two in roles created by Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant is just plain pitiful The biggest deal is the lack of humor. That alone makes this close to unwatchable. It soon becomes a chore to keep watching. The supporting actors sure don't match George Kennedy, James Coburn, and Walter Matthau.Ah, why go on, because older reviews here say it all. This is one hell of a misbegotten mess.

What everyone really needs to realize is that The Truth About Charlie WAS a remake of Charade. As all remakes, they are basing the movie on the original. So one has every right to compare The Truth About Charlie to Charade. And, when it comes down to it, The Truth About Charlie just falls flat.I did have the pleasure (and handicap) of watching Charade before the remake. Both were watched in my "Literature in the Media" class, and we were required to write a comparison, with no bias from the teacher at all. And guess what? The entire class wrote how better composed the original was, and how the new movie was corny in and of its own. And even all of the students who missed the viewing of Charade still thought it stunk.Watching the remake was hilarious throughout the beginning because of how it was just so corny. And then after all of the bad acting hilarity, we were met with a very convoluted climax. But it was short lived, and after Dyle's death wail and fancy gun skills were released, the movie got right back to being funny with the random singing and teleporting guy singing at the end. Would be a great comedy if that was what they were aiming for. (Which, by the way, they were not.)Some things that bothered me the most were:-The character of Reggie: In the remake, they completely changed the persona of Reggie. In Charade, Reggie was clueless but intelligent, naughty but not horny. Only similarity the new Reggie had was that she was also clueless. Though Thandie Newton is OK looking and an OK actor, I wouldn't be able to tell through this movie.-The unruliness of Marky Mark: In the old movie, Peter Joshua (or was it Joshua Peters?) was cool. He was mysterious and you couldn't tell whether he was good or bad up until the end of the movie. In The Truth, right from the get go you know that Cary Grant is good, you just don't know what he's up to. It made the movie predictable and kind of flat.-Political Correctness: Wow, what the heck? Crazy how, that in France, an group of ex-soldiers that are Asian, African-American, and (crazy) Caucasian work with an African-British lady (who is helping out a (creepy) Caucasian secret agent) and her (wanna be cool) Caucasian friend/lover find out about Charlie, a Swiss, and his money. And don't forget about the help of the French police. Wow, am I watching Barney? Realism, say "by by."-Boob lady in the beginning: I am a dude, and I enjoy the occasional flash, it's true. But it seems that the writers knew that this movie was going to be less than great, so they just threw in a nice, uh, "pair" in the beginning of the movie just to keep those type of viewers hoping for more, and this random nudity made me more critical of the movie. I can truthfully tell you, a few people in my class were complaining about the lack of nudity they expected because of the beginning flash-age. And, I hope to God, that the lady in the beginning is not the same lady who "helps" the Asian guy at the end, because if it was, I don't know what I'll do.-Music: Arabian Gangster Rap? Is that even a Genre?-The addition of the "crazy lady mother": It seemed like the writers for the remake needed some deus ex machina character to solve random loop holes so they threw her in, and by her I mean Charlie's mother (who is crazy enough to be just some random lady who thinks she's his mother). Can anyone say random? She is not introduced or explained very well and pops up randomly. The kicker is she kills a lady, and yet is allowed to serve (and somehow poison) food at the uni-sex prison she was apparently sent to/works at. And, talking about her and the poison, what the heck was that ending? What kind of poison makes you violently wail before dying? And why the heck, after the whole happy song ending, did they add the lady poisoning Dyle (who mind you wasn't really that bad of a guy)? If you liked this movie, it's probably because you didn't watch it past the credits, because that part killed the entire movie. I mean they freeze frame on her freakin' smiling face. C'mon!Favorite part of movie: (Reggie throws *6 million dollar* stamps into fire)PJ or JP: (Speaking like a little girl) "Reggie! I can't believe you did that!Dyle: I can! (laughs)me: (in disgust) Oh-my-Lord...PS: If you liked the movie, you liked it because it was funny, right?

after seeing The Truth about Charlie,i don't think anyone would care. this,so called,remake of the classic,Charade,should not have been made.Charade had it all. Romance,intrigue,comedy,beautiful Paris settings,complimented with a Henri Mancini music score. The remake has none of the above. Dreary Paris settings,music score,nothing to rave about,Thandie Newton is no Audrey Hepburn and Mark Wahlberg is no Cary Grant. This film is not a complete waste. A OK film to watch if nothing else is available. The DVD that Universal has released,here in Canada and the U.S.A. has both editions. In this way you can compare which film is the best. I am sure,most people will prefer the original,Charade. After around 40 years,the original Charade,still stands out. No doubt it will become a classic.