"An almost dizzying experience, but pleasantly so."
Susan Stark DETROIT NEWS
"There is a light, carefree bounce to much of Charlie that makes the film a rollicking good time even after its plot has become a drag."
Rene Rodriguez MIAMI HERALD
"Demme's film looks very French, and appears as appetizing as a croissant."
Dennis Schwartz OZUS' WORLD MOVIE REVIEWS
"A hyperactive, exuberant, amusing flight of fancy."
Eugene Novikov ULTIMATE MOVIES!
"Very amusing, not the usual route in a thriller, and the performances are odd and pixilated and sometimes both."
Liz Braun, JAM! MOVIES
"Newton draws our attention like a magnet, and acts circles around her better known co-star, Mark Wahlberg."
James Berardinelli, JAMES BERARDINELLI'S REELVIEWS
"I found myself liking the film, though in this case one man's treasure could prove to be another man's garbage."
Gary Brown HOUSTON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
"fresh, jazzy and fun"
Laura Clifford REELING REVIEWS
"Like a scrumptious French dessert. It's heavenly while you're enjoying it and better yet, it leaves you wanting second helpings."
Louis B Hobson JAM! MOVIES
"The Truth About Charlie is the most playful film to come from Demme in a long, long time. It's also the first of his films I've seen that has the personality that once made his work seem so fresh, ever since 1988's Married to the Mob."
Ken Hanke MOUNTAIN XPRESS
"Demme makes a passable thriller out of this remake"
Marty Mapes MOVIE HABIT
"May not be and should not be everyone's cup of tea, but at the end of it, I felt a guilty affection for all its participants."
Andrew Sarris NEW YORK OBSERVER
At A Glance
The truth about "The Truth About Charlie" is this, if you compare it to the original it was derived from, 1963's "Charade" starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, then you'll be in big, big trouble. There is little to compare here as the films are four decades apart. No, the appeal should be aimed at those who are looking for an exciting film, a kaleisoscope of images and fleeting characters all drifting around together within the mix which doesn't reveal its secrets easily. To say that the characters are colorful and mysterious is an understatement. That they are so enjoyable is due the highly credentialed cast that Demme has assembled.
In the lead roles of Regina & Joshua are Thandie Newton and Mark Wahlberg. Newton got her first break in acting when at the age of 16 she appeared in the Australian production "Flirting". Since then she has been seen in "Interview With the Vampire", Mission Impossible 2 and Demme's 1998 film "Beloved". Wahlbergs a very familiar face having appeared in some of the biggest films of late such as "Planet of the Apes" and with George Clooney in "The Perfect Storm" and "Three Kings". Tim Robbins is acclaimed on both stage and screen. The two time Golden Globe winner and Cannes Film Festival Best Actor recipients credits include, "The Player", "The Shawshank Redemption", "The Hudsucker Proxy" and Robert Altman's "Short Cuts". Lisa Gay Hamilton is another actor who worked on Demme's 1998 drama "Beloved" and has been seen in "True Crime" with Clint Eastwood and Quinton Tarantino's "Jackie Brown". French actress Christine Boisson first shot to fame in the 1974 smash hit "Emmanuelle". A veteran of many European films Boisson is also in demand for both television and stage appearances, in fact, while she was filming "The Truth About Charlie" she was also appearing on stage in the one woman smash it play "The Vagina Monologues". Add to these Ted Levine ["The Silence of the Lambs", "The Fast and The Furious", "Heat" and "Evolution], Joong Hoon Park ["Destiny", "Rules of the Game" and "Take the Money and Run"], Stephen Dillane ["The Hours", "Spy Game" and "Welcome to Sarajevo"], Frederique Meinenger ["The Lover", "Flic Story" and "Round Midnight"] plus veteran performers Simon Abkarian, Charles Aznavour and Anna Karina and you have a huge cast. Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme has turned "The Truth About Charlie" into one crazy, whirlwind of a roller coaster ride thanks to the mystery which surrounds all the characters and in the somewhat detached way they are portrayed by this fine group of actors.
If your looking for something out of the ordianry, something that could be a pleasant diversion from mainstream film but has a feel of familiarity about it, then take the time to have a look at "The Truth About Charlie". It may just reward you for your diligence.
The Story
Regina Lambert [Thandie Newton] has been holidaying in Martinique while her husband Charlie [Stephen Dillane] is away on another business trip. After just three short months she is contemplating ending her marriage. Upon returning to Paris she finds that both her apartment has been stripped and her bank account is empty. To make things worse, her husband Charlie has been murdered and it seems that while the police don't have much to go on, even she is a suspect. Charlie it seems has been living a life of mystery under many different names. Things are not going well for Regina and then she runs into Joshua Peters [Mark Wahlberg], a friendly young man who she met while in Martinique. When some of Charlies old cohorts appear from out of the shadows looking for their share of the loot he owed them, Joshua Peters is quick to protect her. But from who? Regina is forced to play a game of cat and mouse as she tries to find out the truth about her deceased husband. The problem is not knowing just who she can trust.
The Verdict
"It's a crazy mixed up film with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing right up to the end. "The Truth About Charlie" may not be the biggest kid on the block but if your looking to escape those pushy box office driven films then "The Truth About Charlie" may be right up your alley. Go on, be adventurous."
The Cast & Crew
Thandie Newton
Mark Wahlberg
Christine Boisson
Simon Abkarian
Joong-Hoon Park
Lisa Gay Hamilton
Ted Levine
Olga Sékulic
Stephen Dillane
Françoise Bertin
Cassius Kumar Wilkinson
Sakina Jaffrey
Christophe Salengro
Magali Noël
Raphaelle Gallizzi
Michel Crémadès
Tim Robbins
Agnès Varda
Denis Jousselin
Charles Aznavour
Christian Wojtovicz
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Regina Lambert
Lewis Bartholomew
Com Dominique
Lt Dessalines
Il-Sang Lee
Lola Jansco
Emil Zadapec
Jnr Military Officer
Charlie
Woman on Train
Hercules
Sylvia
Morgue Attendant
Woman in Black
Romantic Taxi Driver
Amiable Desk Clerk
Carson J Dyle
The Widow Hyppolite
Hotel Barman
as himself
Lonely Clown
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Original Music by Anna Karina & Rachel Portman
Cinematography by Tak Fujimoto
Film Editing by Carol Littleton
Casting by Françoise Combadière Stern
Production Design by Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski
Set Decoration by Aline Bonetto
Costume Design by Catherine Leterrier
Stunt Co-ordinator Dominique Fouassier
Rated M [AUST]
Run Time 104 minutes
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