Charade

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Summary: Criterion re-releasing "Charade" in anamorphic
Review: (...)

They're also offering to upgrade existing letterbox copies of their previous release for $15. If you're looking to buy this disc I would recommend waiting until Amazon offers the new version (soon, I'm sure), or buying directly from Criterion (no discount). I certainly want to buy this DVD, but I've been waiting for an anamorphic release. And soon it will be here!

Rating:
Summary: The best Hitchcock movie . . .
Review: . . that Hitch never directed! From the music and design of the opening credits to the mesmerizing turns and twists of the plot and its excruciatingly delayed ending, this Stanley Donan picture has all the feel of a Hitchcock classic, complete with Cary Grant!

However, Hitch had a thing for blondes like Grace, Kim and Tippi, so the legend never worked with the greatest actress of all time, Audrey Hepburn.

Beyond Cary and Audrey (and their fabulous chemistry), everything else about this movie is ideal as well. The shots of Paris are magnificent, as is Henry Mancini's music. And "Charade" has one of the best plots you'll ever see.

Particularly memorable are the supporting actors: Walter Matthau of course, but also the odd collection of "bad guys" out to get the money left behind by the deceased husband of Reggie Lampert (Audrey). James Coburn is as 'Tex' as Tex can be and George Kennedy is delightfully vicious with his one steel hand (echoes of 007).

Is Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) a good guy or bad? That bewildering mystery ties us in knots, and is reminiscent of Cary in some earlier Hitchcockian masterpiece. Funny how, good or bad, we still like him.

No one does bewilderment better than Audrey Hepburn. Her husband dead, her very name in question, she spins through a labyrinth of maddening events. However, not helplessly. Audrey always made her characters possess a certain toughness, even as they walk in their cute clothes and say their witty charming things.

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn was a dream pairing which is almost too good to be true. But what makes their pairing so successful is that they were cast together in a movie with countless other things to recommend it. That means, whether you're fans of these two legends, or not (impossible!), the plot of "Charade" is enough to entertain you through viewing after viewing.

Rating:
Summary: A great classic!
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

First of all, there are two pressings of this DVD. the original went out of print a few years ago, It was re-realesed early this year and is virtually identical to the original release. The most noticable difference is the enhancement for widescreen DVD's There are some other subtle differences including an update on the biographic information to include the death date of the film's writer, Peter Stone.

The film itself is very famous and has an all star cast, including Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, James Cubrun, George Kennedy, Walter Matthau, and Ned Glass. Their performances are excellent and the film has numerous surprises in the plot. The soundtrack, by Henry Mancini is also very well known and popular.
The music has been likened to the theme song for the James Bond films.

The film is about a woman whose husband was murdered. His fortune of $250,000 stolen from the government is missing and all that was with him was a small tote bag with some personal articles. Later 3 crooks are after her thinking she has the money.

The DVD has audio commentary by the director Stanley Donen and writer Peter Stone. It also has a theatrical trailer of the film, and a biography and filmography of Stanley Donen and Peter Stone.

The first printing, now out of print, is still worth more than it originally sold for and is vbecoming a collector's item as well.

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Summary: How to do it ...
Review: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, to put it mildly, are two of the most irreplaceable stars in Hollywood history. Grant did everything so well, he made acting look effortless to the point he was vastly underrated as an actor. Audrey Hepburn was a refreshing breath of fresh air her whole career -- a delicate flower of a woman physically who possessed an iron core of inner strength.

It's unfortunate that Charade is the only film Grant and Hepburn made together. Despite the difference in their ages (which is a running joke in the movie), the two have a great chemistry that positively crackles onscreen. Grant reportedly worried about seeming like a dirty old man going after the much younger (25 years) Hepburn. He needn't have worried -- the only time the issue becomes obvious is when the age difference in mentioned onscreen.

Add to this mix beautiful location photography in Paris, a stellar supporting cast including Walter Matthau, James Coburn and George Kennedy and a great score by Henry Mancini, and you get a classic picture. Many critics have said that the plot is too convuluted and complex for its own good. To be sure, Grant's constant identity changes throughout the film do get annoying at times. But this film is so stylish and so classy that that's a minor quibble. Grant and Hepburn are magic together and make you wish Grant hadn't retired in 1966 so the two could have made more cinematic magic together.

(The five star rating is for the film itself. The DVD is a little disappointing by Criterion standards. It has very few extras beyond the usual director's notes, commentary by director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone and the theatrical trailer.)

See The Truth About Charlie to see how not to do it.

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Summary: Criterion - Perfect DVD made even better
Review: Thank you, thank you, Criterion, for revisiting an already great DVD and making it nearly flawless.

The original DVD of this, my favorite film of all time, was one of the best DVDs I'd yet seen when it was released in 1999, relatively early in the growth of the format. It featured a fantastic looking widescreen version of the film which was miles better than the many appalling cheapo VHS versions, available because the film was apparently in the public domain. In addition, it had what I still think is one of the best audio commentaries ever produced, featuring director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone.

After going out of print for a while, Criterion has revisited Charade, and it's even better than before.

First, this is a 16:9 anamorphic transfer, always preferable, since there's more detail to the image, and it won't be obsolete once we make the changeover to widescreen TVs in a few years.

More importantly, however, they corrected some image problems I didn't even notice in the old version until now. I took some captures of identical frames from the two discs and noticed a big difference.

The old version had clearly had the contrast raised quite a bit. The film was brighter as a result, but a noticable amount of detail was sacrificed in the brightest and darkest areas.

More importantly, the old DVD had what I now see to be a very severe red tint to it. People's faces look like they fell asleep on the beach without sunblock, the skies glow pink and Audrey Hepburn's outfit in the final portion of the film, which should be bumbleebee yellow and black, ends up being a funny shade of orange.

Bottom line, a fantastic upgrade from Criterion, maintaining their always high standards. If you don't have this disc yet, pick it up, and if you love the film like me, and own the old disc, you should seriously consider replacing it with this markedly improved new version.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Hitchcock Movie Hitchcock Never Made! :-)
Review: CHARADE is the best Hitchcock movie Alfred Hitchcock never made! With its deft balance of romance, devilishly clever plotting, sophisticated comedy, and stylish suspense (including a smattering of graphic-for-its-era violence), CHARADE is the movie that made me a fan of both Peter Stone and Stanley Donen (yes, I actually saw this before I ever saw one of Donen's musicals!). Every other line is sparklingly quotable, and Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn are among my favorite screen couples; pity this was their only big screen teaming (I liked the wry way they kidded the age difference between them, too). Future Oscar-winners James Coburn, George Kennedy, and Walter Matthau are in top form in these early screen appearances of theirs. Both Hepburn and Paris look their sophisticated best, and the theme is my favorite Henry Mancini piece next to the PINK PANTHER theme. Now that Criterion's gorgeous DVD edition is widely available, with a commentary track by Donen and the now late, great Stone as witty and sparkling as the film's dialogue, there's no reason not to see CHARADE (if you don't have a DVD player, the CHARADE DVD is the perfect excuse to buy one :-). Now if only they'd put out a nifty DVD edition of Donen's and a pseudonymous Stone's 1966 comedy-thriller ARABESQUE for a double feature...whoever is in charge of such things, hurry up while Donen and Sophia Loren are still alive and well to do a commentary track! (Don't bother with the sluggish CHARADE remake, THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE, unless you're either a real masochist or the world's biggest Thandie Newton fan -- she and the music are the best things about it.)

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Summary: Get great quality CHARADE on THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE - DVD
Review: Why spend a fortune on Criterion when you can get excellent HIDEF quality on "The Truth about Charlie" - a much less expensive DVD??? Even though the latter movie is a terrible remake of the former, side 2 of that DVD contains a complete version of Charade.

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Summary: WARNING! CRITERION COLLECTION back in print...
Review: The excellent Criterion Collection edition of the "Charade" DVD is going back into print and will be available in April of 2004. Hooray!

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Summary: Criterion Collection Edition to become Available Soon
Review: The Criterion Collection is re-releasing the Charade DVD that for nearly 3 years has been Out of Print (OOP). Check their website at criterionco.com for more information. No word yet on the date. This new DVD will be anamorphic, meaning if you have a widescreen TV, the image will fill the whole screen.

Rating:
Summary: A great movie.
Review: Charade with Audrey Hepburn and Cary grant is a classic thriller that will leave you guessing until the end. You won't know who the real killer is and you won't figure out who Cary Grant really is.
In Charade, Audrey Hepburn gives an outstanding performance as the widow of a rich man who was involved in some shady dealings. His four accomplices think she knows about the location of the loot and are on her case. To ferret out the real murderer, Cary Grant in a great performance puts on a charade of aliases that confuses Hepburn's character and the four accomplices. The plot becomes more intriguing as the killer kills off the accomplices one by one, until only Hepburn's character is left to fend for herself in a thrilling chase where Cary Grant has to save her. I won't give up the ending; this film is too good to spoil.
For a 1960's film, Charade is a fun exciting thriller that transcends time. You'll be on the edge of your seat and looking forward to finding out who did what. I highly recommend you own this classic for your collection.