Review of Truth About Charlie, The

Introduction

A remake of the 1963 film Charade, directed by Stanley Donan, which has been called by some "the best Hitchcock film not made by Hitchcock". the original starred Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, today we get Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton. Oscar winner Jonathan Demme is at the helm.

The "plot" (I think it`s supposed to be a plot) is outlined up above for you.

Video

A 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer which looks excellent and does its job well. The job in question is to dazzle you with lots of Paris locations, a mountain of wobbly camera work and lots of stereotyped Parisian imagery. The location shoot seems to be more important than the story, and it seems that Demme secretly wanted to be a Nouvelle Vague director all along. There`s even a shot of Truffaut`s grave.

Audio

A DD5.1 soundtrack, which is much as you would expect from such a recent film. There are some good sound effects and atmospherics from time to time (lots of rain), and a few good sounds in the action sequences, but whilst its competent, it doesn`t set your ears alight with its power.

Demme`s secret wish to be a Nouvelle Vague director is exposed in the soundtrack too, with Anna Karina singing "Charade d`amour" and Charles Aznavour singing "Quand Tu M`aimes" and appearing to the characters (a bizarre thing indeed, but at least he doesn`t pop up singing "Avanie et Framboise"). The score is provided by Oscar winner Rachel Portman.

Features

Not a single thing - most infuriating. There are deleted scenes on the region 1 DVD, as well as a commentary, featurette, and the original film on the flip side!

Conclusion

What is it about Thandie Newton? She`s so wooden she makes the cast of Neighbours look like Sir Laurence Olivier and Sir John Gielgud. Her turn in Mission Impossible 2 really wound me up, and as the lead here she is just infuriating. I`m sure she`s a really nice person in real life and all that, but her latest appearance on the big screen just leaves me cold. And where did she learn that French accent?

Mark Wahlberg is not so bad, but he too fails to set the screen alight, and I`ve seen more chemistry in an inert gas than between the 2 leads here. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn they certainly aren`t - they`re not even Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona doing an impression of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

So in summary, an infuriating film (the "plot" and the performances of the leads see to that) on an infuriating DVD (the total lack of anything but the film). Another sow`s ear from potential silk purse ingredients. If you want to see some Paris locations then you might rent it, but if you want to see a good film, rent something else. If you`re looking to buy (your choice of course!) then get the region 1 DVD instead, as you get some extras which might add to the appeal of the film.