"Charade" (1963)

This is actually a dark comedy of wild goofy fun adventure which moves us through some great European scenery. It’s a chase movie, a romantic comedy, action, mystery, mistaken identity. Everything you love. The banter between Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn can never be replicated. And you understand the charm of these two makes you overlook how silly the plot is.  Alongside for the fun is James Coburn, a tough looking American, but also Walter Matthau, the funny looking American. Who is who and what does everyone want is the charade in question.

Despite the fact that this is decades old, it never loses the mystery and twists and turns that are missing in today’s movies. Because we’re too cool for school. But this movie exists in this time because, of the look of Technicolor and, because movie stars could still look like movie stars. For some reason we want our movie stars these days to look more like us. That sucks. Also the fun. There’s even a reference to “My Fair Lady” as Grant rides and elevator with Hepburn

Grant: “Here you are”

Hepburn: “Where?”

Grant: “On the street where you live.”

Gem!

What I love about “Charade” is the unapologetic fun and charm jammed into spy movie. They try to do it with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie a few years ago, which almost worked. But still lacked…that Cary Grant twinkle. George Clooney seems a bit too smug but he is the closest we got. But everyone seems so seriously. I truly miss movies like this. And it’s a shame.