| Charade - Anamorphic Widescreen Edition (Criterion Collection Spine #57) | 
 enlarge | Actors: Gregoire Aslan, Paul Bonifas, Thomas Chelimsky, James Coburn, Colin Drake
Studio: Criterion
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $22.98
You Save: $16.97 (42%)
New (37) Used (14) from $20.27
Avg. Customer Rating:  252 reviews
Sales Rank: 15792
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 113
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 250
ISBN: 0780028805
UPC: 037429194928
EAN: 9780780028807
ASIN: B0001J3SVI
Theatrical Release Date: December 5, 1963
Release Date: April 6, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential video
Audrey Hepburn plays a Parisienne whose husband is murdered and who finds she is being followed by four men seeking the fortune her late spouse had hidden away. Cary Grant is the stranger who comes to her aid, but his real motives aren't entirely clear--could he even be the killer? The 1963 film is directed by Stanley Donen, but it has been called "Hitchcockian" for good reason: the possible duplicities between lovers, the unspoken agendas between a man and woman sharing secrets. Charade is nowhere as significant as a Hitchcock film, but suspense-wise it holds its own; and Donen's glossy production lends itself to the welcome experience of stargazing. One wants Cary Grant to be Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn to be no one but Audrey Hepburn in a Hollywood product such as this, and they certainly don't let us down. --Tom Keogh
Description
A trio of crooks relentlessly pursues a young American (Audrey Hepburn) through Paris for the fortune her dead husband stole from them. The only person she can trust is a suave, mysterious stranger (Cary Grant). A deliciously dark comedic thriller, Stanley Donen's Charade dazzles with style and macabre wit to spare. Unavailable for nearly three years, The Criterion Collection is proud to re-release this '60s spy classic in a gorgeous new
anamorphic transfer.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 247 more reviews...
 Great Movie, Lousy DVD October 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the version I unfortunately bought a few years ago - it's the Delta version with the big picture of Cary Grant on the cover, pictured here. Not only is it grainy, it's jumpy (a jumpy DVD?!?) and not only is it jumpy, but every so often the Delta logo appears on the bottom right hand of the screen, as though you were watching a movie on television. Now that I know of the other versions, I purchased one highly recommended on Amazon's site and am looking forward to a better movie experience. "Charade" deserves it - it's the coolest!
 BEST CHARADE October 8, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
As usual, this Criterion edition of the public domain flick "CHARADE" is the best to date.
Christophe Champclaux
Charade August 31, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The movie came in expected condition. They shipped quickly and did a great job.
 Not up to Cary Grant potential. August 17, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Half hearten drama , romace weak with story line, and I like most Cary Grant movie but this is a one time see at best.
 Classic Mystery July 29, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This movie begins to misdirect you from the very beginning. There are a number of plot devices that the avid mystery fan will recognize, but their reuse in this film provides only a minor distraction from the fun.
Reggie Lampert, very convincingly played by the always beautiful Audrey Hepburn, is informed her husband has died at the beginning of the movie. Reggie quickly becomes the target of a group of nefarious individuals played by James Coburn, George Kennedy and Ned Glass. While the role of these three is clear, what is less clear are the roles of Mr. Bartholomew (Walter Matthau) and Peter Joshua (Cary Grant). Both the latter appear to want to help Reggie, but in very different ways.
Adding to Reggie's initial confusion is why everyone is after her. As the movie slowly reveals, her husband was not all that he appeared. Her husband conspired with a group of others to steal a quarter of a million dollars during World War II. However, Reggie's husband apparently decided he wanted all the money for himself and took it without the other's consent. Naturally the other partners were a bit upset and took out their frustrations on Reggie's husband.
The question everyone asks of Reggie is where the money is located. Unfortunately, Reggie's husband neglected to advise her where he hid a quarter of a million dollars in stolen loot. Reggie must find the money to save her life.
This movie intentionally misleads the viewer from the beginning. Cary Grant consorts with the characters we know are criminals, yet he initially appears to be a good guy. Walter Matthau is much less helpful than he should be given that he has an office in the U.S. Embassy. There are even brief moments at the beginning of the movie where I wondered whether Reggie might know more than she revealed.
Paying attention to the movie, you may find that you guess the location of the cash before Reggie and Peter. The plot is prepared for your guess, and both characters lose the money just when they discover where it is hidden. You may guess the other secrets of the movie as well, but the fun is trying to guess before everything is revealed in the final minutes.
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