Charade is the perfect movie for a relaxing evening. Stir up a cocktail, settle into your comfy seat, and be swept away on a romantic adventure in Paris. And who better to join you there than Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, and rubber-faced Walter Matthau.
It’s not the least bit realistic (particularly James Coburn‘s accent). But who cares?
The cast (aside from that accent) is strong; the photography is lush, both in the studio and on location in Paris; and the story moves along briskly, with just enough mystery to keep you guessing.
I know it sounds cliche, but I’ll say it anyway: They don’t make movies like this anymore.
Just before watching Charade, I had finished up what you might consider a present-day equivalent: Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. But Bodyguard (like its shorter-named predecessor) is violent, vulgar, and vastly over-the-top, with action from start to finish.
Don’t get me wrong; I thoroughly enjoyed both Bodyguard movies (and hope they make a third).
Like Bodyguard, Charade plays to humor, with an emphasis on witty banter. While there is suspense in both and characters die, you know there’s never a real risk to the lead characters.
Charade came out in 1963, almost 60 years ago. Sixty years before Charade would have been 1903. Movies changed quite a bit between then and 1963, just as they have between 1963 and today.
By the way, if you’re watching on the Criterion Channel, be sure to check out the accompanying audio commentary. Director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone are almost as entertaining as the movie itself.
(Sorry there was no post last week. I was traveling, and unable to watch the movie or to participate in the club meeting.)