Day 78 - Charade

Charade (1963) directed by Stanley Donen

One of my faithful followers suggested this movie to me. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in a Hitchcock style thriller? Sold! Word of advice to others though, you definitely need to see this on DVD, or if you can, Blu-ray. Netflix and Hulu both use the same source for their streaming and the video quality is really really bad, which is a shame because this movie is really really good.

Charade has been labeled as "the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made" and it really does have all those great moments of suspense, intrigue, drama, and twists and turns. Most notably however is the chemistry between the two legends Grant and Hepburn who shine brightly in well written roles. Grant would only star in two more films after Charade, but Hepburn was perhaps at her peak. (Charade was shot in between Breakfast at Tiffany's and My Fair Lady) Both are fantastic in their own ways, Grant for his strong and smooth approach and Hepburn for her charm and sweet presence. Between all the stars that I have watched recently, I feel like Audrey Hepburn may be the best combination of beauty, grace, and talent among the big actresses of her time. The repartee between the two stars is only made possible however by the screenplay which is witty, funny and charming. I often found myself smiling and laughing at the casual banter and clever dialogue.

I don't want to write too much about the story because it is a mystery with multiple layers that needs unwrapping but here is the basic premise. A young woman on vacation, Regina Lampbert (Hepburn), discovers that her husband has been murdered and apparently left behind $250,000. Three men who knew her husband are convinced that she has the money and threaten her. She enlists the help of Peter Joshua (Grant), a man she recently met at the vacation. All of them try to find the money before the other in a strong and compelling mystery thriller.

There are a bunch of great scenes of suspense and action, like the rooftop battle with Grant. I loved the large neon sign in the background giving it such unique lighting and feel. The cat and mouse chase sequence in the the last twenty minutes of the film reminded me a lot of the finale of Brian DePalma's Carlito's Way, partly for being in a train station and partly for the pure suspense.

The action on screen is highlighted by a great musical score, both chilling and exciting. Punches are accompanied by Batman style sound effects and shocking revelations have the dun-dun-dun music of intrigue. The chase sequence gets the heart pumping with the heightened feel of danger set by the music.

This film has it all, great story, great performances by two legends, great writing and music all put together by great direction. I like how it has such a wide range of appeal, from being a romantic comedy to a crime thriller or just ascetically pleasing.

Note: Apparently The Truth About Charlie (2002) starring Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton is a near identical remake of Charade. Never seen it, but I'm kind of interested now to compare.

Grade: A