Charade has been called the greatest Alfred Hitchcock film that Hitchcock didn't make. This is mainly due to it's many twists and the presence of Cary Grant as leading man. Honestly, as much as I like the film, I don't think it quite reaches the bar of Hitchcock's work. The film has some problems that I don't think Hitchcock would have left unresolved if he had made it. I honestly got more of a James Bond feel from it than I did Hitchcock, but that may have been partly because of the score (by Henry Mancini). But overall it is a fun, silly movie with some very good performances. I'm going to discuss the good and bad points of the movie.

Now, as I talk about the individual elements of the film, I'm afraid that it may come across as though I didn't like it. This is not the case. I enjoyed it. It's not among the greatest films ever made or anything, but it's fun. This is very much a case though of the film's stars being so fun and engaging that they supersede any issues with the movie itself. If it had starred lesser personalities I likely would not have been so willing to overlook some of the things I am about to talk about. But Grant and Hepburn are people you love to watch, almost to the point that it becomes irrelevant what they are actually doing. For instance, it occurred to me at the beginning that Grant looks easily old enough to be her father. Times are different now, but even for the time it seems strange to have such an obvious age gap between romantic interests. And I know that I'm not just judging it through a modern lens, because the movie itself points this out. Grant's character (who changes names so often that I will probably just stick to calling him Cary Grant) makes several references to the difference in their ages, referring to her as child and such.


But again, the fun in this movie is all about the performances. Matthau is decent in this, but the trio of baddies who are hunting Regina to get the money (played by James Coburn, George Kennedy, and Ned Glass) are all pretty interesting and enjoyable to watch. Grant and Hepburn are so good that you forget that it's almost like watching your dad hit on one of your high school friends (though to be fair, Hepburn pursues Grant and it's almost portrayed as though he just gives in at the end). The movie isn't just straight comedy, but it gets really funny at times. Overall, it's very enjoyable while not being great cinema, and that's perfectly fine.
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