The Truth About Charlie (2002)

The Truth About Charlie is a 2002 remake of the 1963 classic film Charade. It is also an homage to François Truffaut's 1960 film Shoot the Piano Player complete with that film's star, Charles Aznavour, making two surreal appearances singing his song "Quand tu m'aimes" (first in French, later in English).

The film was produced, directed and co-written by Academy Award winner Jonathan Demme and stars Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton in the roles once played by Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

This version closely mirrors the plotline of the original film. It is once again set in Paris and features several famous French actors. Director Agnès Varda makes a cameo appearance. Actress/Chanteuse Anna Karina sings a Serge Gainsbourg song in one scene. Peter Stone, screenwriter of Charade, receives a story credit as "Peter Joshua," which was one of the identities Grant's character used in the first film. Stone disliked the remake and refused to be credited under his real name. The name of Wahlberg's character in the remake is "Joshua Peters." The film received a mixed reception from critics and was a flop at the box office, bringing only $7 million worldwide. The original Charade accidentally slipped into the public domain. Universal had never bothered to release it officially on DVD until it was included as a bonus feature on the B-side of the Charlie DVD. They had previously licensed it to The Criterion Collection, while numerous unofficial DVDs had been released all over the world.

Synopsis

British newlywed Regina Lambert lives in Paris with her husband, Charlie. She returns home following a short vacation, determined to divorce Charlie, only to discover their apartment has been stripped bare and that her husband has been murdered. Regina is soon reunited with a mysterious stranger she met on her holiday. He helps her piece together the truth about the deceased Charlie and deal with three menacing people who are now following her.

Actors