Charade (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

This film happens to be in my top 10 of my all time favorite films and I was very happy to pick up this copy. However there are differences between the Critereon versions and this version from Madacy. Unless you want to spend [money] for the Critereon version {and I wasn't prepared to do so} this version is good but not great. The film itself really needs no detailed review except to say that is one of the best comedy/thrillers ever made. It was also Cary Grant's last great film {He made only 2 more films after this-"Father Goose" and "Walk Don't Run"}. He is so suave and debonair that he could give James Bond a run for his money. Also Audrey Hepburn, James Coburn, George Kennedy, and Walter Matthau give excellent performances. I was very suprised about the film quality {I expected worse} however the films sound is quite muddled and hard to understand. There are no real bonuses except for the theatrical trailer, and a trivia game that's not really worth mentioning. There is also a second film included bearing the same name that stars James Mason and Pamela Mason. There is no connection to the Cary Grant version. The quality of that film is much worse and you can see it once and never worry about it again. It is in b+w and was made in 1953. To sum it all up if you don't want to spend alot more money this is an ok version for your collection.

Cary Grant. Audrey Hepburn. A hidden megafortune. Three nasty pursuers. A slick, chic thriller with a Hitchcockian edge.

With that kind of formula, it's not surprising that "Charade" deserves every shred of praise it receives -- and over the years, this classic has received a lot. Director Stanlet Donen had his finest moment when he created this funny, witty, tightly-plotted little thriller, where you're left with questions right up to the final scene.

While on vacation at a ski lodge, Regina Lampert (Hepburn) decides to get a divorce. But when she returns home, she finds that her husband has been tossed off a train -- and even stranger, she finds that he was mixed up in a gold robbery many years ago. To get her mind off her problems, Reggie goes out on the town with Peter Joshua (Grant), a guy she met at the resort.

But during her outing, she's cornered by three strange, creepy men -- and the worst part is, she finds that Joshua may be in on their plot. Unsure whom to trust, Reggie starts digging to find out where the gold is -- and then her pursuers are murdered one by one. Will she be the next target?

It's a sharp, taut little thriller, reminiscent of the more commercial thrillers by Hitchcock, though set in a chic 1960s Paris setting, and with a New Wave edge. Stanlet Donen did mostly comedies in his career, which makes the tight plot and wry wit of this movie stand out even more.

The movie moving along at a fairly steady pace, with one or two dead spots, but mostly just following the twisted plot threads. There are some really harrowing moments, like Regina being attacked by the Hook-man. By the tense finale, a lot of the odd little clues suddenly fall into place, especially the murder of the three thugs. It's a brilliant piece of scripting, even if the storyline is a bit unreal.

Fortunately it's not all spy-thrills and revenge. Donen could change from action to horror to comedy in a moment, and he keeps the quieter moments lively with funny dialogue and some sophisticated slapstick, like Grant showering fully-clad. The witty dialogue is full of glorious one-liners. "You won't be able to lie on your back for awhile," Reggie quips, "but then you can lie from any position."

Though Grant wasn't wholly comfortable playing opposite Hepburn, the two actors have kinetic chemistry. Whether they're goofing off, or chasing a kiss in a nightclub, they feel entirely real and romantic. Better yet, nobody knows who Grant really is or what he's doing, so there's an added element of danger to their relationship.

This tightly-plotted, fast-moving thriller deserves to be as well-loved as it is, and cinephiles should be ashamed of themselves if they haven't yet seen it. A must-have.

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn star in this classic thriller. Regina Lambert, wife of a wealthy Parisian, returns from a ski vacation to find that her husband has fled--unsuccessfully, as he's been murdered while en route by train. He has thoughtfully saved his widow-to-be the bother of an estate sale, having sold all his household goods, leaving her an empty apartment and the question of where his money have gone. But she's not the only one looking--seems he stole his money from the U.S. Government during World War II, and both the U.S. and Charles' co-conspirators would like the money. In fact, seems someone is prepared to kill for it . . . again.

An absolute delight. The funeral scene is one of the funniest on record, with one of Charles' wartime "buddies" sticking a pin into him to make sure he's dead. Both Grant and Hepburn excel in their roles, as does James Coburn as Tex Panthollow (I love that name), one of the wartime "buddies".

Let's face it, this movie is based on a flawed premise. The items into which Charles converted his wealth would suffer greatly in value if treated in the way indicated in the film, and I refuse to believe that their very unusual nature could be overlooked by the police (even the French police) and by everyone else who sees them.

But if you're prepared to overlook that, it is a delightful movie.