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Summary: CRITERION--YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN!
Review: I just watched this DVD and listened to the commentary. This is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it's such a treat to see it with the great picture and sound restored. The director's and writer's commentary was insightful and funny. I think commentary tends to be more interesting if there are two or more people discussing the movie. The playful banter (at least I hope it was playful) between Donen and Stone held my interest for the full two hours. Keep up the good work Criterion! I'll keep buying them as long as you keep making them. Anybody know what's next from Criterion?
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Summary: Wow! Great picture now that it's on DVD!
Review: If you want to see this film, you must get this DVD version of it. I have owned the video tape for years and I always thought the poor picture was due to the fact it was made over 25 years ago. But this Criterion Collection version makes it look like it was made today. I have never seen such an improvement in quality from video to DVD. Get this version! You will love it! Oh, the movie was very good also.
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Summary: Grant and Hepburn are fantastic together
Review: My wife has a thing for Cary Grant, and I have a thing for Audrey Hepburn, so we both love this movie. It is one of the few suspense movies that challenges the best of Hitchcock, and actually comes out on top against most of them. The going back and forth on who Grant's character is and what he is really up to will keep you guessing the whole movie. You want to believe him, even though he is constantly caught in a lie. Walter Matthau, James Colburn, and George Kennedy also have strong supporting roles. This movie successfully manages to keep you laughing and on the edge of your seat the whole time.
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Summary: Look for It! You Look for It as Hard and as Fast as You Can!
Review: That's the warning CIA bureaucrat Walter Matthau gives to ungrieving widow Audrey Hepburn about finding the quarter of a million dollars her late husband stole and then was murdered for. Why a warning? Because SOMEBODY killed that husband, didn't they? And because right now, Audrey's being menaced by a trio of baddies, George Kennedy, James Coburn, and a little guy whose name I don't know, but you've seen him before. Good thing Audrey's got new beau Cary Grant on her side...or is he?"Charade" is a great thriller from the 1960s, and Audrey rarely looked better than she does here, sporting her Givenchy wardrobe. This is Cary's best performance from that decade, unlike the walk-thru he did in Doris Day's "That Touch of Mink". No, here Cary is on full alert and in full control of the viewer's attention. His scenes with Audrey are a-one, two consummate pros doing a wonderful job of romance in spite of peril at the elbow. Our supporting cast is excellent too. Each bad guy is scary in his own way, whether it's dropping lit matches on Audrey trapped in a phonebooth or brandishing a menacing hook at Cary on the rooftop. And Walter Matthau gives a jolt of life to his portrayal of the somewhat sleazy bureaucrat Audrey keeps calling on the phone for advice about how to deal with the murderous situation unravelling before her. One thing I do have to caution here is this, though. One reviewer said this is a movie you can watch with your whole family. Really, I wouldn't say that is the case, because there are some pretty nasty murders towards the end of the movie. It's true that I'd seen this a million times on "The 4:30 Movie" as a latch key kid myself, but just now when it was playing on the VCR, I didn't think it the most appropriate thing for my 4-yr-old nephew to see. So, be advised of that imagery, and you'll be okay. Otherwise, no foul language, no uncomfortable sex scenes--why Cary Grant even keeps his clothes on in the shower, no kidding! No game playing here--play some "Charade" yourself and you'll enjoy yourself immensely.
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Summary: Superb tongue in cheek suspense thriller
Review: 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.
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Summary: Superb Grant-Hepburn movie
Review: I have seen this movie many, many times. Grant and Hepburn are wonderful together - such chemistry! They really should have made more films together. I have not seen any of the DVD versions. I would like to buy one, but there are so many bad comments about the picture quality. Do all 3 DVD versions have the same bad picture quality or just one of them? Thank you for any help you may give me on this.
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Summary: Wonderful - the best Hitchcock movie he never made...
Review: Charade is one of my favorite movies - I have watched it several times and have always enjoyed it, even when I know what is going to happen! Often referred to as the best Hitchcock movie Hitchcock never made, Charade is an suspenseful mystery which also features excellent chemistry between the two stars, a witty script, and several comic moments. Essentially, Charade is about a young woman named Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn, with her usual grace and charm) whose husband is mysteriously murdered - and who is subsequently threated herself by several strange men. She also meets a mysterious man named Peter who offers to help her (Cary Grant, older but still debonair as ever) but whose trustworthiness is very questionable. To say any more would be to give too much away... Anyhow, this is a fantastic movie - very entertaining and enjoyable. The performances are impeccable: but then again what else could be expected from Audrey and Cary? The two stars also share several charming romantic scenes and compliment each other very well. An interesting fact is that, when this movie was being made, Cary Grant had many scenes changed to have Audrey chase him instead of the other way around (he was wary of appearing to be a dirty old man given their huge age difference). His changes resulted in many charming scenes between him and Audrey that seem completely natural, and are often very funny as well. And of course Cary Grant has some unique comic moments of his own! Furthermore, unlike many movies made in the same genre today, Charade is perfect for the whole family to watch. The combination of old Hollywood charm, a witty script, a good plot, and great acting make Charade a perfect movie - highly recommended!
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Summary: Don't buy this edition!
Review: This a transfer from a bad print -- my favorite line is missing because of one of many splices (why are there splices on a DVD?). Even worse, the menu, which comes up automatically when I loaded it, has only four items, and gives away perhaps the most important plot point! See Charade, an unequalled mixture of suspense and comedy, but don't do it with this edition.
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Summary: Save Your Money
Review: "Charade" is one of the most clever and classiest productions ever to come out of Hollywood. Too bad this widescreen transfer is total junk! Absolutely no effort was made to salvage this cinematic gem of the 1960's. The colors are faded, the image fuzzy, the soundtrack appalling. ...
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Summary: Worth watching, even if only for the director's commentary
Review: I've been a fan of Audrey Hepburn's for ages, taking care to see all her movies, some several times. Yet somehow I postponed seeing this one, thinking that it would be too serious, or too much of a thriller. (I figure real life's hard enough, do I really want to spend my leisure time watching stressful movies?) I shouldn't have waited! This movie is much funnier than I expected; in fact it's much more an adventure than a thriller (much like a Peter Sellers Pink Panther film). It's "classic" Audrey in the sense that she looks beautiful and acts wonderfully. Further, her chemistry with Cary Grant makes the movie. He is charming as ever in this film. An added bonus is the commentary by the director and the screenwriter. It's clear that these two fellows know each other so well that they interact like an old married couple, constantly correcting and contradicting each other. They seemed hilariously dysfunctional in narrating the commentary, making it so I couldn't stop listening/bursting into fits of laughter. (And this on the director/screenwriter commentary?! Amazing!) I'd highly recommend this DVD on the merits of the film alone, but the bonus material makes it even easier for me to endorse. Enjoy!
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