Often (aptly) described as the best Hitchcock film not made by Alfred Hitchcock, Charade stars Audrey Hepburn as a woman embroiled in a murder mystery and romantically linked to one of the lead suspects. Directed with style and energy by Stanley Donen (Perhaps best known for his work on musicals such as  Funny Face and Singin’ in the Rain, Charade could easily be mistaken as a film of the late Master of Suspense. After her husband is murdered, Regina (Hepburn) discovers he was leading a double life and must outwit the crooks who insist she knows where his fortune is stashed and will stop at nothing, including murder, to get it. In the mix is the charming Peter (Cary Grant), whom Regina is unsure if she can trust or not. 

This film is the perfect example of a film running off pure star power. With lesser stars, perhaps this may not have worked. However, Hepburn and Grant, both at the height of their fame make this a delightfully engaging romp through the streets of Paris. Both beloved movie stars by the time of release, the clear chemistry between the two radiates off the screen. Their chemistry adds drama to the central question the film poses: Is he or isn’t he guilty? The romance between the two is lifted by the wonderful score by Henry Mancini, fresh off an Oscar win, for his recent work on another Hepburn picture, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. 
A question modern viewers almost always have when watching classic Hollywood films is, “How has this film aged?” It’s something I’ve tried to include throughout all the pieces I’ve written. One thing’s for certain; it has aged a lot better than the aforementioned Audrey Hepburn film. Mickey Rooney is nowhere to be seen here. While I do have a soft spot for Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the inclusion of Rooney as an Asian man has really marred that film’s reputation.

While overall quite a playful film, Donen still manages to really capture the paranoia of the 1960s here. It’s also worth noting that this film was released mere weeks after the Kennedy assassination. Paranoia was at an all-time high in the United States at the time.  Regina perfectly captures this paranoia. Who can she trust? Who is out to get her for the fortune and who is really there to help her? While the film does have a tried-and-tested formula, modern interpretations usually pale in comparison. Donen knows exactly when to balance the moments of tension with some levity – something modern films forget. They’re far too self-serious and the films suffer because of it. Look at something like the recent dud, Don’t Worry Darling, a film that could have been a lot more enjoyable if it had a bit more fun with the ludicrous plot unfolding.

Charade came right at the moment of the downfall of the classic Hollywood picture, at the downfall of movie stars before the New Hollywood took over, and it feels like it was lost somewhere in the mix because of this. Movie stars were never as big as they were when this was released. Can you name a recent film that would have been as big of an event as this because of who was attached? The most recent one I can think of would be the teaming of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt for a tale of action, deception and thrills (a lot like Charade!) for Mr. and Mrs Smith almost 20 years ago. The movie star event movie is gone, and we’re no better off for it. 

Charade is the perfect whimsical thriller for when one needs distracting. Headlined by two massive movie stars at the height of their game, Charade knows where its strengths lay and foregrounds the romance between Grant and Hepburn. While the film is often described as something Hitchcock would’ve made, I don’t find this to be an entirely accurate comparison. It’s more fun than anything that Hitch would’ve made.