[.ca] Charade

Amazon.com Essential Video:
Audrey Hepburn plays a Parisienne whose husband is murdered and who finds she is being followed by four men seeking the fortune her late spouse had hidden away. Cary Grant is the stranger who comes to her aid, but his real motives aren't entirely clear--could he even be the killer? The 1963 film is directed by Stanley Donen, but it has been called "Hitchcockian" for good reason: the possible duplicities between lovers, the unspoken agendas between a man and woman sharing secrets. Charade is nowhere as significant as a Hitchcock film, but suspense-wise it holds its own; and Donen's glossy production lends itself to the welcome experience of stargazing. One wants Cary Grant to be Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn to be no one but Audrey Hepburn in a Hollywood product such as this, and they certainly don't let us down. --Tom Keogh

From Amazon.co.uk:
Audrey Hepburn plays a Parisienne whose husband is murdered and who finds she is being followed by four men seeking the fortune her late spouse had hidden away. Cary Grant is the stranger who comes to her aid but his real motives aren't entirely clear--could he even be the killer? The 1963 film is directed by Stanley Donen but it has been called "Hitchcockian" for good reason: the possible duplicities between lovers, the unspoken agendas between a man and woman sharing secrets. Charade is nowhere as significant as a Hitchcock film but suspense-wise it holds its own; and Donen's glossy production lends itself to the welcome experience of stargazing. One wants Cary Grant to be Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn to be no one but Audrey Hepburn in a Hollywood product such as this, and they certainly don't let us down.--Tom Keogh

Additional Features:
Cinema fans can spend no two better hours than listening to the DVD commentary track in which director Stanley Donen and writer Peter Stone reminisce some three decades after they made their 1963 comic thriller. Good friends since they made the film, Donen and Stone play off each other's memories about the production (which often conflict), spin marvelous stories about the stars, and display a whimsical sense of humor. As Criterion editions go, this one is a bit sparse on the extras, but it delivers the best transfer--by far--of the film. Due to a period when the film was part of the public domain, several inferior editions were made. This is the one to buy; the extra cost is worth it. --Doug Thomas

Small Technical Flaws:
This review applies only to UPC 018111236997 produced by Delta Entertainment (LaserLight). This bargain-priced version is very good for the price. You get just the movie, with no extras, in wide screen format. There are at least a half dozen spots where several frames are missing, with none of them missing more than 2 seconds of film. A short segment of film had a thin white horizontal line through it.

Excellent film, poor DVD version:
The Passport Video version of this DVD (white and gold cover) appears to be a transfer from a VHS copy. It is fuzzy, has poor colour quality, and lacks subtitles or closed captioning. The film itself is excellent. This transfer is not. Get the Criterion version instead.

A bona fide classic...:
This is a masterpiece in and around itself- really. 'Charade' really showcases Audrey Hepburn's acting talents and versatility. She really showed audiences what she could do as Regina 'Reggie' Lampbert. (did I spell her last name right?) Charade will keep you glued to the screen until the end... and at no point in the movie are you ever thinking about what you are going to do tomorrow, or what is happening. It's right there in front of you. 'Charade' made me look at Audrey as not just a style icon, but a talented actress. Not like a cut-out doll that most of the actresses of her time were like. (Excluding some) I mean, the plot is so rich and entertaining- you just can't go wrong with this movie! The quality of this particular DVD is pretty bad, so I recommend 'Cary Grant Double Feature'. It has 'Charade' and 'Amazing Adventure'. You get 2 in 1 and the quality is WAY better.

"You fell for her like an egg from a tall chicken":
Beginning credits play a Henry Mancini's score and we are swept back to the sixties. The opening scene is of a metro train rolling down the track in Europe. A body is tossed off. Then a flash to a ski resort where a hand with a Luger-Parabelum is being lowered and aimed directly between Reggie's (Audrey Hepburn) eyes. Turns out that the body from the train was that of Reggie's husband, Charles Lambert. At the funeral a strange selection of sinister characters one by one check to be sure Charles is really deceased. Looks like Charles left with something of theirs and they want it back. Everyone except Reggie knows that she has it. In the process of retrieval Carry Grant appears to be helping her; however his name and occupation seems to change periodically, hence the title "Charade." Many people will be dispatched in unique and creative ways. What is everyone after and will Reggie find it before it is too late for her? The criterion edition has a voiceover track of director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone discussing the film. Most of it sounds like rattling. However once in a while there is a useful piece of information. Such as the gloved hand with the Luger in the beginning scene was a man's hand so you would not suspect the next scene.

"You fell for her like an egg from a tall chicken":
Beginning credits play a Henry Mancini's score and we are swept back to the sixties. The opening scene is of a metro train rolling down the track in Europe. A body is tossed off. Then a flash to a ski resort where a hand with a Luger-Parabelum is being lowered and aimed directly between Reggie's (Audrey Hepburn) eyes. Turns out that the body from the train was that of Reggie's husband, Charles Lambert. At the funeral a strange selection of sinister characters one by one check to be sure Charles is really deceased. Looks like Charles left with something of theirs and they want it back. Everyone except Reggie knows that she has it. In the process of retrieval Carry Grant appears to be helping her; however his name and occupation seems to change periodically, hence the title "Charade." Many people will be dispatched in unique and creative ways. What is everyone after and will Reggie find it before it is too late for her? The criterion edition has a voiceover track of director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone discussing the film. Most of it sounds like rattling. However once in a while there is a useful piece of information. Such as the gloved hand with the Luger in the beginning scene was a man's hand so you would not suspect the next scene.