Charade

This afternoon, Gabe and I headed to the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland to see one of Audrey Hepburn's best films: Charade. It is a romantic comedy/thriller set in Paris that has been described as "the best Hitchcock film Hitchcock never made," and it's easy to see why. It has a quick-moving plot, witty dialogue, and great charisma from its stars, Audrey and Cary Grant.

Audrey is newly widowed Regina Lampert, surprised to discover that her late husband was not who she thought. She is soon terrorized by three men, eager to recover the money they are convinced she has hidden. Cary is Peter Joshua, a man who she is not sure she can trust, but can't help but like him.

Charade keeps the viewer interested with fun plot twists, hidden identities, and intoxicating flirtation between its romantic leads. Audrey is absolutely lovely in Givenchy, and Cary is gorgeous in a drip-dry suit.

This is not a chick-flick by any means, and there are several very suspenseful scenes including one in a phone booth and one in the Parisian metro. The cast is incredible and the script is rock solid. Charade is great forty years later, mostly due to the timelessness of its stars and the intelligence of the script. Check it out - I have the DVD if you'd like to borrow it :)