Charade (1963)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  I gotta be honest here and say that the first half hour of Charade sort of threw me for a loop. It seemed to have a difficult time at first establishing a tone. Whether that tone was mixed with comedy or drama, I wasn't entirely sure. However, once the film finally got going and… More
  I gotta be honest here and say that the first half hour of Charade sort of threw me for a loop. It seemed to have a difficult time at first establishing a tone. Whether that tone was mixed with comedy or drama, I wasn't entirely sure. However, once the film finally got going and settled in, it turned out to be enjoyable. Unfortunately, I think it gets just a bit too silly at times, and Audrey Hepburn is trying way to hard to be funny and charming. I'm sure I'm in the minority on that, but oh well. Overall, the film is fun and has a fantastic score, but it isn't without its problems. Those problems can be overlooked though, as the film is a clever spy movie with a lot of substance.

• Dean M

  
  Perfect romantic-comedy-thriller classic entertainment. This is kind of a Hitchcock movie that set the standard for quality mystery films. It's a tasteful humour colourful characters and intelligent plot make <i>Charade</i> one of the best mystery movie ever made with… More
  Perfect romantic-comedy-thriller classic entertainment. This is kind of a Hitchcock movie that set the standard for quality mystery films. It's a tasteful humour colourful characters and intelligent plot make <i>Charade</i> one of the best mystery movie ever made with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. The story's strength lies in getting the viewer involved. One never knows whether Grant is a good guy or a bad guy. The dialog between Grant and Hepburn is very entertaining as the latter tries to figure out the same thing. There are lots of good lines, particularly by Grant. Director Stanley Donen gets out of every sequence very skillfully.

• Thomas J

  
  Cary Grant, what an actor. So little effort on his part. Audrey Hepburn just cute as possible. The two make this 1963 thriller fun as well as suspenseful! For nostalgia, this movie is perfect.

• Luke B

  
  It takes a lot for a film to automatically jump into your favorites of all time. Charade is one of those rare films that did just that. Unfortunately ignored, mostly due to copyright mistakes made by the production company, this has been dubbed "The greatest Hitchcock film… More
  It takes a lot for a film to automatically jump into your favorites of all time. Charade is one of those rare films that did just that. Unfortunately ignored, mostly due to copyright mistakes made by the production company, this has been dubbed "The greatest Hitchcock film Hitchcock never made". It's certainly true that this owes a lot to the works of Hitchcock. Despite not adding much originality to the genre, it perfects every single facet. Charade is a classical romantic-comedy disguised as a spy thriller. The first noticeable sign that this is going to be brilliant is the witty and quick dialogue. Most comedies today don't generate so many belly laughs. This is a serious world, filled with real people. This means that everyone has a slight sense of humor, and interesting character quirks. The film also works by making Hepburn more of a predator than her older leading man. Her character is given much to work with as a woman looking for divorce, before discovering her husband has been murdered. A great thing about this film is that it has so many twists, and you only see them approaching seconds before the reveal. This film kept me guessing, excited, smiling, and intrigued. An absolute gem from when Hollywood crafted masterpieces.

• AJ V

  
  This is probably Grant's best movie of the sixties, it's exciting, fun, humorous, and has a mystery to figure out. I loved the end too. I highly recommend this movie.

• Lewis C

  
  "You can't even be honest about being dishonest!" Charade is a very funny spy/mystery about a dead man, a very large amount of missing money, a threatened widow who is clearly in over her head (Audrey Hepburn), a mysterious man with many names (Cary Grant), and three… More
  "You can't even be honest about being dishonest!" Charade is a very funny spy/mystery about a dead man, a very large amount of missing money, a threatened widow who is clearly in over her head (Audrey Hepburn), a mysterious man with many names (Cary Grant), and three sinister, shadowy men. This movie has more twists and turns than it should even be possible to fit into 113 minutes, and every time you think you have it figured out, it smacks you in the nose with another curve-ball. The plot is a successful marriage of humor, murder, and danger. People die at every turn, yet there's a small or big laugh around every corner. Hepburn and Grant really get to flex their comedic muscles, thanks to a script that provides excellent banter for the two leads. Hepburn is her typical beautiful, charming, girlish, impossibly adorable self. No surprises there. And Grant handles both the funny and dangerous aspects of his character quite well, to the extent that you never quite know whether to trust him or not. There's great chemistry between the pair, almost to the level between Grant and Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief. That's a huge compliment, as I absolutely love that movie. Charade does a lot of things very well. And while it stays safely on the side of light entertainment, and doesn't quite have the magic of some of my favorite classic movies, it's a fun movie to watch. Do yourself a favor and see this film; there is very little chance that it could possibly disappoint you.

• Thomas B

  
  Fantastic thriller with some great acting. Full review later.

• Conner R

  
  Quite simply, this is one of my absolute favorite movies and is perfect in every sense of the word. I think it combines all my favorite things and wraps them together in a nice package. Cary Grant probably has to be my favorite actor of all time, I idolize him completely and think he… More
  Quite simply, this is one of my absolute favorite movies and is perfect in every sense of the word. I think it combines all my favorite things and wraps them together in a nice package. Cary Grant probably has to be my favorite actor of all time, I idolize him completely and think he defines the term leading man. Audrey Hepburn is probably my favorite actress of all time, she resembles every quality an actress should have and then some. The supporting cast also has some of my favorite people, including James Coburn, crazy George Kennedy and Walter Matthau as a surprisingly scary and believable villain. I'm a huge fan of capers and true romance stories, this happens to be the best of both worlds. You are involved in the love story just as much as the mystery of what happened to the late Charles and his $250,000. The twists are beautifully done and better than anything like it. I often wonder why people throw this under the category of "Hitchcockian", that's completely ridiculous. Alfred Hitchcock would never spend this much time with his characters and never would he have managed to do this without making it more tragic and shot-oriented. Stanley Donen may not have the legacy of other directors at the time, but this is a masterpiece and everyone should admire him for doing something so beautiful and original. Now movies like this are more common, but this still remains the best.

• Michael G

  
  The best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn are perfect together and the rest of the cast is almost equally fantastic. Director Stanley Donen films shoots Paris beautifully with just enough of the eye candy element from his previous films. The… More
  The best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn are perfect together and the rest of the cast is almost equally fantastic. Director Stanley Donen films shoots Paris beautifully with just enough of the eye candy element from his previous films. The story's suspenseful without being predictable, the dialogue is witty and hysterical all at the same time.

• jay n

  
  "I have an awful lot of friends, I couldn't possibly make room for you until one of them dies." Chic.

• Jennifer D

  
  I was not expecting to like it, but I'll give anything with Cary Grant AND Audrey Hepburn a try! I really loved it! Audrey is just pure grace and class and so is Cary! Good twist at the end. Didn't see it coming!

• Wahida K

  
  Charade is a great classic

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Well, what did you expect me to say? That a pretty girl with an outrageous manner means more to an old pro like me than a quarter of a million dollars?"</i> Romance and suspense in Paris, as a woman is pursued by several men who want a fortune her murdered… More
  <i>"Well, what did you expect me to say? That a pretty girl with an outrageous manner means more to an old pro like me than a quarter of a million dollars?"</i> Romance and suspense in Paris, as a woman is pursued by several men who want a fortune her murdered husband had stolen. Who can she trust? <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Slick, sophisticated and extremely charming are the most widely used adjectives to describe Stanley Donen's Charade; and this career highlight is still a great testament to his talent, particularly in view of the Jonathan Demme remake 40 years later. Getting the right doses of romance, comedy and thrills into one picture is difficult enough, but the mixture here is nothing short of miraculous. The funeral scene is witty beyond words. Stylish flourishes abound, making even the individual elements of the film outstanding: the animated Maurice Binder titles driven by Mancini's exceptional theme music; the Paris locations and production design; Peter Stone's slyly written banter; a cast of extraordinary character players; and even Ms. Hepburn's hip Givenchy wardrobe. Donen, Grant and Hepburn really deliver and Charade, as light and satisfying as it all is, is something of a minor cinema masterpiece.

• Alice S

  
  Lots of fun, but when you know the ending, you notice how the film spends too much time on the somewhat forced romantic plotline. Still, can't go wrong with Audrey and James Coburn. And correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems to be one of the first mainstream movies to… More
  Lots of fun, but when you know the ending, you notice how the film spends too much time on the somewhat forced romantic plotline. Still, can't go wrong with Audrey and James Coburn. And correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems to be one of the first mainstream movies to show some graphic (for its time) images.

• familiar s

  
  Didn't work for me!!!

• Stephen M

  
  A delightfully witty romantic thriller, clearly indebted to Hitchcock's "North By Northwest" but very enjoyable in its own right. Cary Grant, though as charming as ever, is not quite on peak form here and was starting to look a little tired by this time, but Audrey… More
  A delightfully witty romantic thriller, clearly indebted to Hitchcock's "North By Northwest" but very enjoyable in its own right. Cary Grant, though as charming as ever, is not quite on peak form here and was starting to look a little tired by this time, but Audrey Hepburn is simply wonderful. Hitchcock might perhaps have squeezed a little more fun and suspense out of the story, though it is to Stanley Donen's credit that one also pauses to reflect whether "North By Northwest" could have been even better with Audrey Hepburn in it. Donen does a good job of making the twists and turns of the plot intelligible, particularly with respect to Grant's constantly shifting identity and motivation, even managing to explain a niggling hole in the plot at the very end. Excellent.

• Jennifer X

  
  At first I thought this was really weird because the titles were a little frightening, but now I adore their whimsical-ness. I LOVE how versatile Stanley Donen is. From Singin' in the Rain and Funny Face to this is truly a remarkable feat, and he still manages to incorporate his… More
  At first I thought this was really weird because the titles were a little frightening, but now I adore their whimsical-ness. I LOVE how versatile Stanley Donen is. From Singin' in the Rain and Funny Face to this is truly a remarkable feat, and he still manages to incorporate his signature style into something as different as this. It's classy, smooth, and riveting; what more could one want? However, as much as I liked the film, I am forced to conclude that Audrey Hepburn is gorgeous but not a particularly good actress...

• xGary X

  
  Charming romantic comedy cum Hitchcockesque thriller starring two of the best in the business. The romance works rather better than the thriller element, as the plot becomes so convoluted and melodramatic it gets rather silly, and never seems to be sure whether to takes itself… More
  Charming romantic comedy cum Hitchcockesque thriller starring two of the best in the business. The romance works rather better than the thriller element, as the plot becomes so convoluted and melodramatic it gets rather silly, and never seems to be sure whether to takes itself seriously or not. Worth it for the sheer star quality of the leads, and a nicely understated supporting role for Walter Matthau.

• Leigh R

  
  Good plot... love Audrey.

• Walter M

  
  "Charade" starts with a dead body in pyjamas being thrown from a moving train... (Cue Henri Mancini theme music and Maurice Binder opening credits.) The body is that of Charles Lampert, married to Regina(Audrey Hepburn) who returns from a skiing holiday to Paris to not… More
  "Charade" starts with a dead body in pyjamas being thrown from a moving train... (Cue Henri Mancini theme music and Maurice Binder opening credits.) The body is that of Charles Lampert, married to Regina(Audrey Hepburn) who returns from a skiing holiday to Paris to not only find her husband dead, but also that he previously auctioned off the contents of their apartment for $250,000 and was making a break for it. As Hamilton Bartholemew(Walter Matthau) informs her over sandwiches at the United States Embassy, he stole that money under his original name from the government during the war which might also explain the three strange men(Ned Glass, James Coburn & George Kennedy) at his funeral while hardly anybody else puts in an appearance. Well, at least, Peter Joshua(Cary Grant) is on hand to comfort her. Admittedly, I have seen "Charade" about 89 times(and referenced a few weeks back on "Chuck") but this is the first time in a long while and maybe the first time on a big screen.(So, allow me my indulgences since it was my birtday yesterday.) And you know what? It is as immensely enjoyable as I remembered it with a great cast, priceless dialogue, a disarmingly simple plot structure and a resolution that is so very much clever. I had always thought if the film had a flaw in it, it would be with Regina's behavior. While she is resourceful with a skill as a translator, on the surface she seems to trust strangers a little too easily. But then, I could imagine her being charmed by her late husband and Peter comes along right when she is vulnerable.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings