Charade

Starring: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy
Directed by: Stanley Donen
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Thriller
1963

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A widow (Audrey Hepburn) is hunted by several men who want the $250,000 her deceased husband stole from them. They claim she has the money. As she searches frantically for it, she befriends a man (Cary Grant) offering to help. However, his motives aren't entirely clear, and she begins to suspect his involvement in the whole affair.

Review:

Tim: I was surprised by how much I liked Charade. I can't remember the last time I watched a film with so many twists and turns. It felt like it took all my energy to keep up with the fast-paced story, and even then, I felt like I was always one step behind the intelligent script. I loe when films don't pander to the audience, instead challenging it with a complex and winding story. I felt like this movie engaged me on many different levels, which is why I consider this a great film.

The script it absolutely brilliant. There are so many twists that I nearly couldn't believe it. I kept going back and forth- "This character is good. No, that character is bad. Okay, wait, no, he's good." I was very unsure of myself or what I thought about the characters. I can't remember the last time I was so suspicious of nearly every character on screen. I could make a legitimate argument at different points of the film for anyone to be the hero, and for everyone to be the villain. The script was so intelligently written that it was very hard for me to predict anything. Sure, a few of my guesses actually panned out, but mostly, it took everything I had just to stay with the quick-paced film.

It helps that the cast is absolutely fantastic. Audrey Hepburn is excellent as the film's protagonist. She is such a great actress, and she does very well here. While some of the actions her character took were a little hard to believe, I ultimately was won over by her acting ability and her everywoman persona. I thought she gave a complex, layered performance. This movie would't have worked as well without her tremendous talent. Cary Grant was also very good, in one of his last acting role. Grant was perfectly mysterious. At different points in the film, I was truly convinced he was the hero, and I was just as convinced that he was the main villain. This was due to the incredible range in acting ability Grant has, and his ambiguous, complex performance. Grant and Hepburn work very well together.

The supporting cast is pretty fantastic as well. I loved seeing Walter Matthau in the film. He's a very good actor, and he brought much to the film. His scenes were some of the most important of the film, and this is because every second of his screen time is impressive. I also really enjoyed the smaller roles of James Coburn and George Kennedy, both very good actors who added a great deal to the film. The cast is pretty outstanding, and one of the highlights of this film.

Charade is such a great movie because of the thrilling script, and the state of uncertainty it keeps you in from the very beginning to the very end. There are few films whose journeys are as exciting and engaging as this one. The characters come to life due to the terrific performances from the impressive cast. The story is unpredictable and exciting, keeping the audience on its toes. I really, really enjoyed this film, and believe it deserves mention among the all-time classics. Charade is a very competently made, great movie. It is one of the films everyone should see.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Wait Until Dark, North by Northwest