The Truth About Charlie...Never Remake a Classic

We just watched the film “The Truth About Charlie” and I had such a strong reaction to it (or lack thereof) that I felt compelled to write a review for two movies. You see, this 2002 film staring Thandie Newton and Mark Wahlberg is actually a remake of the 1963 classic “Charade” which starred Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. So here are my intertwined reviews of both films.

First of all, it must be said up-front that “Charade” is one of my favorite films of all-time. This makes me incredibly biased toward it, but I think my review will make it clear why I favor it so much. “Charade” is a classic, classic movie. It pretty much has everything you could ask for in a film: Action, comedy, romance, mystery, double-crosses, and (probably the most important ingredient) incredible chemistry from its leading stars. The script is outstanding as it manages to get you close enough to the characters to care about them while keeping you relatively in the dark about what is really going on in the story. The action sequences are so tension-filled that you end up on the edge of your seat for several minutes, and (unlike a lot of recent movies like the Bourne Trilogy) the sequences are realistic and plausible. Of course, the biggest treat is the dialogue between Grant and Hepburn, which is both witty and sweet, which brings such an endearing quality to the film that I just don’t see very often these days.

Contrasting to this film is the remake in 2002 by director Jonathan Demme. Most of the story remains intact and they try to keep some of the ‘noir’ feel about the film, but no matter how hard you try you can never replace Grant and Hepburn. Mark Wahlberg is a great actor and I really liked him in “The Italian Job” and especially in “The Departed” but he has no chance of filling Cary Grant’s shoes (I’m not sure there is anyone who can at this point). I liked Thandie Newton; I think she recaptured a lot of the elegance, wit, and charm that Audrey Hepburn brought to the original, but she is again facing a near-impossible task of shoe-filling. Overall, the film suffers because it tries to recapture something that just can’t be replicated, which gives it a sort of “Groundhog Day” feel about it. Note: that is not a criticism of “Groundhog Day” which is another of my favorite movies. There is a specific scene in “Groundhog Day” in which Bill Murray’s character tries to recreate a romantic moment with Andie MacDowell’s character by simply repeating the sequence of events that led up to it. Needless to say, he couldn’t recapture the original moment. That is exactly why you shouldn’t try to remake a classic.

So my recommendation is that you skip “The Truth About Charlie” and instead check out “Charade”. I know not everyone likes older films because they tend to be a bit slower than the fare offered today, but this one has aged well in my opinion and it just might surprise you.

-Mike

'Tis the Season to be Jolly and Joyous

The Holidays are over and we're just now catching our breaths. The past few weeks have been full of family, friends, and fun, with stops in Kentucky, Michigan, and various locations around the 'Nati. The highlight of the break was an evening of tubing on the slopes of Grand Rapids. If you haven't tried it before, you should definitely give tubing a shot. It's like skiing...but without any skill required. The picture below was taken while we were up in the Great Lakes State, but unfortunately we took it too late and missed Andre and Becky, who had already left. Best wishes for the New Year!
-Mike