Cinematic Shorts: Charade

 Wowza!

     Welcome to the first of what should be a common occurrence on this site. The Cinematic Shorts will be quickie reviews of movies. I will reserve this approach for movies I have not watched recently but on which I would like to comment anyway. For instance, you likely noticed I’ve seen nearly all of Hitchcock’s movies, so I’m not likely to rewatch them any time soon, yet Notorious is really dang good, so I’d like to tell you about it. Since this is my first along this vein, I think it only fitting to go with my favorite movie from my favorite actress: Audrey Hepburn.

     I’m not sure how I first discovered Charade. It might have been a rental from the library or when I bought a $5 copy at the movie store where I worked. The set up is ideal for me: Audrey plus Cary Grant. It is the only picture they did together, sadly, but quite a gem. It is a comedy, drama, action, romance and murder mystery all rolled into one.

     Set in France, Audrey plays a woman who returns home from vacation to find the husband she wants to divorce is dead and their home empty following an auction of their belongings. She had bumped into Grant’s character while on vacation and he finds her again in her empty home. A romance of course ensues featuring adorable lines such as:

You know what’s wrong with you? Nothing.

and

Oh, you should see your face. –What’s the matter with it?– It’s lovely.

     *Sigh* I’m swooning just thinking of it. All kinds of switcheroos occur as Audrey tries to understand who killed her husband while avoiding being whacked herself and who Grant really is. Add in some great Audrey fashions and I was sold on the first viewing. I would also be remiss if I failed to mention an adorable little boy in the picture. Look out for his “I would bury it in the garden” line. It’s classic.

     If you like Audrey or Cary Grant, Charade is a must see and one I can never get enough of.

"How do you shave in there?"