Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Charade is an Alfred Hitchcock want-to-be. It’s a movie that should just kick back and relax, but instead it parades around in its insecurity. Hitchcock was a master of combining suspense, mystery, and a touch of humor here and there. Charade attempts a concoction of these ingredients and reveals that it doesn’t have the formula figured out yet.

It’s like the person at the party that feels like they have to constantly be saying something funny in order to amuse people. If they would just take it easy and be who they are, then they’d realize that they don’t have to tell jokes to be entertaining.

Charade’s excuse to be witty…or, in other words, its plot…begins with Audrey Hepburn’s husband getting killed. From there she finds out he was a secret agent who stole $250,000 in World War II. Soon to follow, …she discovers that he had acquaintances who are also secret agents, and they want his money. The movie involves these men trying to persuade Hepburn into handing over the money.

Cary Grant comes into the scene as Hepburn’s love interest, but also possibly a secret agent. People start dying and slowly but surely the potential suspects are whittled down. All of this happens amidst constant one-liner jokes.

Some of these one-liners are funny…

…such as when Audrey Hepburn confronts Cary Grant about his habit of lying habitually.
Of course, you won't be able to lie on your back for a while but then you can lie from any position, can't you?

But, others of them seem more like the scriptwriters were getting a little desperate...

...for example, at the funeral for Hepburn’s husband one of the people viewing the body starts sneezing. The woman next to Hepburn says, “He must've known Charles pretty well.” Hepburn says: “How can you tell?” The woman says: “He’s allergic to him.”

You can see how one joke is smart and funny (in my opinion) and the other just doesn’t seem to fit. This is how the whole movie progresses. The problem isn’t so much that the jokes aren’t always funny it’s that the jokes keep you from getting involved in the movie as much as you could.

There were times in the movie where you could have experienced a little suspense or a little emotion, but you were kept from those feelings by these short quips. If some of these scenes had sacrificed their opportunity to deliver a punch line I think you could have gotten a little more involved in the story and felt more a part of the movie.

Instead, you feel distanced from the movie. The choppy humor continues up until the last half-hour. The film finishes up with a dose of suspense as the real killer is revealed, and there’s a shoot-out to top everything off. These scenes are effective.

Unfortunately, after about 30 minutes of Charade you realize that the plot isn’t going to allow you to figure out its mystery until the very end. This also prevented me from fully entering the world of the movie. I didn’t feel like I should bother figuring out any clues, because all the clues would just deceive me into faulty conclusions.

It’s sort of the opposite of what a good Alfred Hitchcock mystery can do to you. One of Hitchcock’s movies may keep its secret from you until the end, but the entire movie feels important. You pay attention to all the details because you have a hunch that the answer to the riddle is right there in front of you. Charade feels like you’re being toyed with and there’s no possibility to solve the mystery.

Despite these two negatives (chronic jokes and plot twists) the movie is worth seeing at least once. It’s kind of like that guy I mentioned at the beginning, the guy who won’t stop telling jokes at the party. Well, half of what he says is going to be dumb, but the other half is going to be fairly amusing. ...And, he might as well stick around; ...after all, he’s a happy fellow. That’s the feeling that comes with Charade.

A big part of this generally good feeling is a product of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn’s rapport on the screen. Concerning the circumstances and the amount of lies Grant gets caught in, I didn’t believe for a second that their relationship would ever have sprouted, but I enjoyed watching them together. Their dialog was quick and snappy, and they seemed to be having a good time with each other. And, their good feelings carried over to me and caused to enjoy my time with the movie.

So, if you’re ever at the library and see Charade on the shelf, don’t be afraid to pick it up for your evening entertainment. You’ll get a couple good chuckles, and Grant and Hepburn will probably put you in a good mood. You won’t care too much about the story since its plot is so scatterbrained...but, plot’s are overrated anyways...aren’t they?

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12