- Title: Charade
- IMDb: link
1963’s Charade was an attempt to cash-in on a Hitchcock-like thriller with more than a dash of screwball comedy thrown in similar to North by Northwest. It may not match up to one of Hitchcock’s best films, but Charade (despite some murky plot points) succeeds by throwing interpreter Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) into an uncertain world of spies and thieves after the sudden death of her husband who was in possession of something worth killing him, and her, over.
Tagging along with Regina, having first met her on holiday before her husband’s death, is Cary Grant playing a role of various names and motives who may or may not ultimately be a friend to Regina as he, like the various other crooks (James Coburn, George Kennedy, Walter Matthau, and Ned Glass), is after what her husband left behind. The twisty-turvy plot will present Grant’s character as both hero and villain before eventually revealing his true motivations in the film’s climax and epilogue.
Despite the pair’s notable age differences (something Grant was concerned about), the chemistry between Grant and Hepburn works well to provide the spine of the movie. While its almost never clear whether Regina can trust this man, it’s abundantly clear that there is something between them. I don’t know if the last-minute reveal actually works, but if I’m ultimately willing to accept something quite similar in The Tourist (which is probably Charade‘s most modern comp) I guess I can’t hold some of the shakier aspects of Charade‘s plot against it too much.
The new Criterion 4K includes both 4K and Blu-ray discs of the film along with previously released commentary from director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone along with an essay by film historian Bruce Eder.
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The Tourist has a few things going for it. For one it’s got two strong stars who work well together surrounded by a charming supporting cast, especially Dalton in his small role.