Charade 1963
I saw Charade a number of years ago, not knowing much about it, but remember being charmed by the complex plot and the great cast. Eventually I bought the Criterion edition on blu-ray and finally got around to watching it. It is still a joy to watch the movie. It was late in Cary Grant's career, but he still has the charm and determination he showed in Notorious, though the tone is definitely lighter here. Audrey Hepburn gets a chance to be more than a trophy, running through subways and trying to figure out the very twisted mystery she encounters when her husband is murdered. There is also a solid supporting cast, plus all kinds of great locations in Paris. A few times they go overboard with silliness, but it's nice that there is a good sense of humor to mix in with the intrigue and romance.
The Criterion disc has virtually no extras, just a commentary by the director and writer, and the case has a printed essay about the movie. Usually Criterion packs in a bunch of extras, which seems required with a movie that is already in print by the studio, otherwise why pay Criterion's premium price? I don't always sit through the commentary, but this one was pretty good as the director, Stanley Donen, reminisces with the writer, Peter Stone, each correcting each other the whole time. They talk about putting the movie together and speak glowingly of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn while also pointing out how Walter Matthau can be funny just eating a sandwich.
Written: 10 Dec 2023
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital