Charade (1963)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

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.

Impossible to review this film without employing the term Hitchcockian so I'll get it over with right away. At times it seems as if all that's needed to complete the picture is for Audrey Hepburn to dye her hair blonde as elsewhere we have Cary Grant reprising his Roger Thornhill meets John Robbie persona, a plot with more twists and turns than a slalom ski-slope and more MacGuffins than you can shake a stick at.It helps when there's a supporting cast of the quality of Walter Matthau, James Coburn and George Kennedy all playing cherche-la-femme in Paris as the newly widowed Hepburn learns she's inadvertently in possession of a secret of her lately murdered husband worth $250000. Director Donen keeps the surprises coming with pleasing regularity keeping the audience on the hop throughout until a denouement somehow reminiscent to me of "The Third Man".Underpinning all the kills and thrills is the chemistry between Grant and Hepburn as both play their parts and act their ages with great aplomb. It's fun to see Hepburn chasing Grant in an inversion of the norm although I don't think you'd find too many men running away from her. There are some surprisingly shocking images of the deaths of Hamilton and Coburn in particular and liberal doses of the type of black humour of which the Master would have been proud, none more so than when early on in the film, a supposed mourner sneezes over the deceased in his open casket. Inventively and stylishly directed, it perhaps lacks those directorial flourishes of you-know-who which stay in the memory, but the dialogue is smart, witty and occasionally risqué, the Parisian locations highly attractive and the playing excellent by all throughout.A fine homage to Hitch but with enough of its own identity and flair to entertain satisfactorily on its own merits.

Not often I leave reviews, but after watching this rather forgotten movie classic I felt the need to encourage others who have yet the pleasure to become acquainted (lol) with this classic. Great cast, Audrey Hepburn is simply fantastic, watta sexy female actor, who you can't keep your eyes off. Carry Grant is again as in most of his work, excellent, in this well paced, fast super charged who done it? It's great, that's why the average score is 8, I might of given this a 9, which I rarely do, but this, well its just a cut above the rest. Thrilling exciting, sexy, great plot, some stunning architectural highlights that caught me, but this movie will probably grab your full attention, with some other detail, simply a stunningly sumptuous thriller with laughs. Cue Cary Grant, the supporting cast of Walter Matthau, James Coburn and George Kennedy plus all others are all outstanding. Let's also give credit to the writer's for a great script, Peter Stone.Thanx for this gem, great movie, great cast, great everything. Much appreciated by myself, so I hope to spread the joy.... Cheers John

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!