Film Roar

Charade (1963)

After a regrettable two hours wasted on the modern remake, The Truth About Charlie I decided to find out what the original movie, Charade (1963) was like, and a good thing that was. Charade is simply a pleasure to watch. With a story line that is so convoluted with constant twists and turns that it really should not work, this movie keeps the audience constantly engaged with incredibly witty humor, beautiful cinematography and some simply astounding screen chemistry between stars Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

There is something simply unbelievable about the concept that Reggie Lampert (Hepburn's role) could possibly fall in love with Peter Joshua after knowing him for only one day and keep that love alive as she finds out time and time again that he is deceiving her. And yet Hepburn makes us believe it every time. Her doe-eyed careless fascination with Grant (whom in both the film and real life was old enough to be her father) is conveyed so fully and deliciously in that special Hepburn charm that it makes the film worth watching alone.

As if that were not enough Cary Grant gifts us (I was going to say grants us, but the pun seemed a bit too base) with a perfect rendition of the special gentlemanly charm that made him such a pleasure to watch on the silver screen. His ability to deliver the great little quips and jokes written into the script with such apparent ease makes the viewer easily forget that one is watching a movie and sink into the character and the story.

Walter Matthau and James Coburn seem at first odd choices for their supporting roles, but they add just the right touches to their characters to, well, to support the odd plot as it develops. It is hard to tell how much of the film's well timed action can be attributed to director Stanley Donen, how much is thanks to the script and how much is there thanks to the first class acting by the principles, but in the end it does not matter. Charade is a pleasure to watch and a great example of what a classic movie should be.