...the film is not without its problems.
Tools:
Recommend review to a friend »
The Film According to John:
I reviewed a DVD copy of "Charade" for DVD Town several years ago, a pan-and-scan transfer that looked no better than a bad video tape, with its monaural sound coming more from the rear speakers than the front ones! How grateful we can be that the people at Criterion, who are always so meticulous in their work, chose to remaster this comedy-suspense classic (for a second time, no less). It now looks as good as we could have hoped for and restores a minor movie treasure to its rightful place in viewer libraries.
Stanley Donen directed this 1963 release in Hitchcock-like style, reminiscent of "North By Northwest" in its tongue-in-cheek humor, sophistication, and polish.
Filmed entirely on location in Switzerland and Paris, the movie follows the adventures of Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Walter Matthau as they try to figure out why a group of bad guys--played by James Coburn, George Kennedy, and Ned Glass--are harassing Ms. Hepburn. You see, her recently deceased husband left a good deal of money hidden away somewhere that these fellows are determined belongs to them. What delicious baddies they all are, too, including possibly Grant himself! It´s a delightful romp, lighthearted and a little lightheaded at times but always entertaining.
The Film According to Eddie:
I saw Jonathan Demme´s "The Truth About Charlie" a few years ago. It was a so-so effort, filled with a filmmaker´s desire to pay homage to a lot of things; sadly, Demme couldn´t pay homage well to anything since the plot is a silly series of encounters and misunderstandings. Therefore, I thought that its inspiration, Stanley Donen´s "Charade", was possibly an overrated movie whose reputation was propped up by people with fond memories of watching it when they were young.
Well, after giving Criterion´s new "Charade" DVD (re-mastered video elements) a spin, I have to admit that I was wrong. To be sure, the plot is as slight and inconsequential as ever, and if you think about it, nothing in the movie is at all realistic. However, everything has been done with so much skill, style, and charm that I realized that I watched the last thirty minutes of the film with a goofy grin on my face. I had a jolly good time, to say the least.
However, the film is not without its problems. "Charade" isn´t successful when it comes to drawing you into its world. Since it veers wildly between comedy and suspense, the inconsistency in tone makes you very aware of the fact that you´re watching a movie. Also, the film is not always as light on its feet as it should be, and there are parts that offer information that was already obvious to viewers. Finally, I still can´t figure out if the French inspector is supposed to be a serious character or a target of our laughter. This was something that needed to be addressed during the editing phase...
Average user rating (1-5):
Not yet rated.
Not yet rated.
[release]12086[/release]