Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant are a pair to be reckoned with.
From Notoriousto the duo’s incredible friendship, Bergman and Grant have always been two of classic Hollywood’s greats.
So, when I viewed the film, Indiscreet, I was in absolute heaven.
It may very well be a simple romantic comedy, but, I believe there’s more to it.
At this point in Bergman‘s career, she was essentially blacklisted from Hollywood.
From being denounced by the Catholic Church for her affair with Roberto Rossellini, to having the majority of her foreign films flop at the box office, Bergman was treading on thin ice.
In walks her good friend Cary Grant.
source: Warner Bros
Friends for decades, co-workers for several movies, and close confidants, Grant has always stood by her side, even accepting her Oscar Award for Anastasiain 1956 when she couldn’t attend.
In a way, Indiscreet makes for perfect a movie. The film has two very likable leads, and the plot has quite an acquired taste. Think of Indiscreet as an Americano, something you only drink when you’re desperate for coffee, except it’s sweeter and has a richer taste.
Directed by my favorite filmmaker, Stanley Donen, the movie tells the story of Anna Kalman, played by Ingrid Bergman, a London based actress who has given up on finding love.
Through her brother in law, played by Cecil Parker, she meets Phillip Adams, played by Grant, an economist with a taste for the theatre.
Anna and Phillip eventually start dating, and everything appears to go well until Phillip reveals his secret.
All the while the couple were in their “honeymoon” stage of their relationship Phillip conveniently forgot to tell Anna that he actually wasn’t a married man. Anna believed that she was having an affair, so when Phillip told her the news, she didn’t take it too well.
source: Warner Bros
The rest of the film sees Anna attempt to get back to Phillip, which she does with much hilarity and fanfare, inevitably deciding to get married in the end.
The movie isn’t too well known in the classic movie sphere, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t mean it fails to make a lasting impression. The coupling of Grant and Bergman not only made for a truly entertaining movie, it made sense.
If you were to look at the script and synopsis of the movie, it does have rather mature themes. I don’t think there could be another duo, besides Grant and Bergman, that could’ve taken these roles.
Donen did an incredible job with not only the script, but, the direction as well. The feel, mood, pacing and acting in this film, gives you a sense of real richness. Meaning, that it feels mature, this isn’t your typical classic Hollywood romance – it’s a romance for the older generation.
We went from the high & tight haircuts and skinny suits that were all too prevalent throughout the Kennedy Administration to the loose-fitting bell bottoms, civil unrest, and free-love that most people have come to associate with the decade.
The 1960s also saw Audrey Hepburn break out of stereotype that had plagued her for years.
The Eyes Wide Shut of its day, Two For the Roadmarked the beginning of the end of Hepburn‘s acting career. With a young son and a crumbling marriage (she and Mel would divorce a year after this film was released), Audrey would take an extended leave of absence from Hollywood in order to be a more present figure in her son’s life.
Much like the social and cultural shift that the decade experienced, Hepburn‘s film career in the 60s would be a reflection of the society that was quickly changing around her.
Arguably starting in 1961 with Breakfast at Tiffany‘s, the film roles Audrey would go on to star in betrayed the ‘waif-like’, ingénue typecast that she was known for earlier in her career.
source: 20th Century Fox
Films like The Children’s Hour, How to Steal a Million and Wait Until Dark – all staples of Hepburn‘s later career – have a surprising amount of depth and feeling to their plot compared to the rather ‘superficial’ (I use that word lightly) characters that Hepburn has previously portrayed.
One of these movies, with more emotional depth than the Grand Canyon, is the aforementioned romantic drama Two For the Road.
Directed by the legendary Stanley Donen, Two For the Road or “TFTR” stars Audrey Hepburn and everyone’s favorite movie boyfriend Albert Finney as the bickering married pair of Mark and Joanna Wallace. Told in a non-linear format, Donen fabulously uses Joanna and Mark as an allegory for what can happen after 12 years of marriage.
In order to do that, Donen uses this format to present the couple at different stages of their marriage: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
The Good (Newlyweds – Year 1)
source: 20th Century Fox
The film starts in France – the world’s most romantic country (or so they say.)
Current day Mark and Joanna are flying their white 1965 Mercedes 230SL up to the North of France, then down to St. Tropez in celebration of Mark’s latest architecture creation being completed. Right away, the tension between the couple is palpable and it escalates from there.
Before they even board their flight, there are already clear signs of contempt for one another. She asks for a box of cigarettes – he snaps back at her. He asks for his passport – she gives him the cold shoulder. He threatens her with divorce – she laughs in response.
As an audience member, this is hard to watch, but, it also makes you wonder.
What made them grow to hate each other so viciously?
Why don’t they get a divorce?
If they have them, what must their children think?
Just as I was asking myself these questions, Stanley Donen dives us head first into the Wallace’s tumultuous backstory.
source: 20th Century Fox
It was the summer of 1954; Mark was a struggling, ‘down on his luck’ architect looking to catch a break and Joanna was a shy, rather witty member of an all-girls choir group.
They first meet on a ferry crossing post. Mark, furiously rummaging through his backpack, is desperately searching for his passport. This would be a major problem because the crossing guard would refuse him entry into another country if he failed to identify himself.
Looking defeated and on the verge of tears, a dainty wrist draped in a red sweater reaches over his shoulder to return, what appears to be, his passport.
When Mark gets up to thank this good Samaritan, he turns around and is face to face with the future mother of his child.
Joanna was otherwise known as ‘Jo,’ was about to start a conversation with this handsome stranger, but Mark had other ideas. He swiftly gives his thanks and continues on his journey to self-discovery.
A couple of hours later while hitchhiking on a potato truck, Mark sees ‘Jo’ and a number of other girls stuck on the side of the road looking for a repairman. At first, his intention was to proceed on with his journey, but eventually, he slows down and helps them get back on the road.
Now hitchhiking with this girl’s choir, Joanna and Mark get an infinite amount of time to learn about each other.
source: 20th Century Fox
As darkness night falls, Mark and the choir group spend the night in a dilapidated, centuries old, French inn. The next morning, something terrible has happened.
All of the girls, except for Mark and Joanna, have come down with chickenpox. Instead of advancing to their destination, the choir’s director (played by Jacqueline Bisset) instructs the two to keep going without them.
So, they did.
The couple spent the rest of their time hitchhiking around the old cobblestone cities of France, stealing fruit from vendors and making love til dawn. Inevitably, Joanna believes that they should get married. After much trepidation, Mark excitedly agrees.
The Bad (Recent Past – Year 6)
source: 20th Century Fox
Giving us their backstory, Donen cleverly switches the timeline to 1960 – about 6 years into their marriage.
Skinny ties, cardigans and dark-rimmed glasses – galore!
The Wallaces have conformed.
Now with a child (this will come back to haunt the couple, later) Mark and Joanna have begun to lose the magnetism that initially attracted them towards one another in the first place.
This lack of attraction manifests itself in a carpool alongside Mark’s ex-girlfriend (played by Eleanor Bron) her husband (played by William Daniels) and their 5-year-old daughter Ruth (played by Gabrielle Middleton.) Normally laid back and agreeable folk, the Wallaces are more than happy to put up with a bratty 5-year-old for a few hours.
It isn’t until Ruth refuses to give up the location of her father’s missing car keys (which she threw out of the window out of spite) that Mark and Joanna reach their wit’s end.
After spending 12 hours in a car with a whiny toddler, Joanna has had enough. With nighttime imminent and hunger pains growing louder, Mrs. Wallace twists the little girl’s arm, forcing her to give up the location of the key.
She ultimately does, and before her parents can apologize Joanna and Mark decide to travel alone.
This is the moment where Mark and Joanna (Mark, especially) decide not to have children. But, little did he know that wouldn’t be the case.
The Ugly (Current – Year 12)
source: 20th Century Fox
When we return to the present day, Donen intercuts several different, defining, moments (all ones pertaining to the downfall of their marriage) during this current timeline.
Current day Mark and Joanna have reached their destination of St. Tropez and it appears that all hope is lost for their relationship.
“What kind of people can sit there without saying a word to each other?” Joanna asks. Mark replies, “Married people.”
As this scene ends, Donen turns our attention to another period where – again – we see Mark and Joanna on a trip to, somewhere. Donen doesn’t specify where, but, looking at the scenery, it resembles the French countryside, the same countryside where they originally fell in love.
It’s implied that Joanna chose this location specifically because it holds such a memorable place in her heart.
It’s also the place where ‘Jo’ tells Mark she’s pregnant. Mark is hesitant to become a father but is happy nonetheless. This announcement happens to coincide with Mark getting a job offer from a very wealthy Frenchman named Maurice Dalbert (played by Claude Dauphin.)
For the next few months, the Wallaces live in France while Mark makes a sizeable income as an architect for a rather demanding client.
source: 20th Century Fox
Everything seems to be going well for them until Mark confesses to stepping on her while on a business trip. Understandably hurt about his revelation, Donen cuts back to the present day before we could see her response.
The next story is perhaps the most emotionally heavy in the film. In another timeline shift, Donen shows Mark, Joanna, and their child Caroline in a hotel room after – what looks to be – another road trip of sorts.
While sleeping comfortably in her crib a few feet away from them, Caroline’s parents have heated discussion about whether or not that should’ve had her. This “conversation” (more like a shouting match leaves Joanna in tears and Mark in frustration.
For the last and final time in the movie, Donen cuts back to the modern day with Mark and Joanna on the verge of divorce.
Joanna’s *ahem* extracurricular activities with taller, skinnier, richer Frenchmen named David (played to perfection by Georges Descrières) leaves Mark a broken man.
What started as a fling, has now turned into a full-fledged affair that threatens the state of their marriage.
Mark concedes defeat and starts his journey back home.
source: 20th Century Fox
As this is happening, David and Joanna have a meal by the beachside.
Silence.
Ironically, this time it’s her lover David that asks the question,”what kind of people can sit there without a word to say to each other?”
Joanna emphatically responds,”Married people!” realizing she truly does love Mark.
In the film’s finale, Mark and Joanna have a heart to heart about their relationship and agree that they should stay together. As they cross the border of France into Italy, not only does it signal a change in scenery and clientele for Mark but, it also symbolically signals a new start for their relationship.
Why This Film is a ‘Hidden Gem.’
source: Stanley Donen, Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn on the set of Two For The Road (1967).
Two for The Road is an impeccably directed, acted, and presented movie, unfortunately not too many people know about it.
When people discuss Hepburn‘s filmography, they usually speak about her more popular films.
You know the ones.
Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face, Charade, Breakfast at Tiffany‘s et cetera et cetera. Sadly, Two For the Road never makes the list and it should. This movie shows a different side to Audrey, and I have Stanley Donen to thank.
Donen created a film that showed the unglamorous side of marriage. His depictions of love, lust, and heartbreak were flawless. The pairing of Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn worked perfectly (too perfectly.) What Stanely Donen did was unprecedented, he created a movie that portrayed the realities of marriage using the (under-rated) technique of non-linear formatting.
With this method, he was showed the exact moments where the marriage went south, and how it could – possibly – be prevented.
I don’t think another movie like this could be made – and I don’t want it to be.
Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant and Stanley Donen on the set of Charade (1963) source: Universal Pictures
Stanley Donen is a living legend.
It’s no surprise that his movies have made such a lasting impact on the film industry. From comedies, romantic dramas and even musicals, Stanley Donen was the renaissance man of the golden age. In no other film does this exemplify his versatility than 1963’s Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.
I think this movie showcases the best of Donen as a director, and that’s the main reason why I chose this film for the Favorite Director Blogathon. Starring Audrey Hepburn (at her loveliest), Cary Grant and Walter Matthau, Charadehas one of the funniest and most intriguing plots of any Donen film I’ve ever watched. Often times, I hear a lot of classic movie fans say that this is the most ‘Hitchcockian‘ movie they’ve seen without it being directed by ‘Hitch‘ himself.
So, without further ado, let’s explore why this movie is a perfect example of Stanley Donen‘s talents.
source: Universal Pictures
The plot of the movie revolves around Regina ‘Reggie’ Lambert, played by Audrey Hepburn. While on a skiing trip in the east of France, she tells her best friend Sylvie Gaudel, played by Dominique Minot that she’s divorcing her husband. Shocked and dismayed at this decision, Sylvie tries to argue against this- to no avail.
Suddenly, a handsome stranger approaches the table where the two are sitting and introduces himself. This man, played by Cary Grant, is Peter Joshua. After a bit of back and forth, he eventually leaves the two women alone.
Cut to the next scene.
We see Reggie back in Paris, only to find out that her apartment has been completely emptied. The police inspector that was in her apartment investigating what happened tells Reggie that her husband has been murdered.
Before he met his demise, he sold off all of their belongs which are now missing. As if this couldn’t get any more strange, her husband left behind a duffle bag containing some passports in different names, some stamps, a ticket to Venezuela and letter that’s addressed to her. A few days later, she attends his funeral. As she’s sitting there mourning the loss of her husband, 3 rather unfamiliar men walk in.
source: Universal Pictures
She brushes this off, merely believing that these men were just old friends until she meets with a CIA administrator named Hamilton Bartholomew, played by Walter Matthau. He tells her that three men that showed up were survivors of a failed OSS operation in World War II.
Their mission (including a man named Carson Dyle and her husband) was to deliver $250,000 in gold to the French Resistance, but instead of doing the right thing, they stole it
This leaves Reggie in a predicament.
Now that her husband is dead, these 3 men were searching for the missing loot. Not only do these louts want the money, the US Government is also looking for it also. Perplexed at what she does next, Regina refuses all help.
This changes quickly as soon as Peter Joshua, coincidentally, tracks Reggie down in Paris and helps her move into a hotel. On three separate occasions, these men individually come to Reggie’s hotel room, demanding that they tell her where the money is.
Now, the next part is a bit tricky.
One of the criminals, named Scobie, tells Reggie that this ‘Peter Joshua’ fellow was one of the men alongside them during the attempted heist.
source: Universal Pictures
Caught in a lie, ‘Peter Joshua’ confesses that he really isn’t ‘Peter Joshua’, but a man named Alexander, the brother of the heist member Carson Dyle. According to “Alexander”, he’s convinced that one of these 3 men killed his brother. Despite this little bump in the road, the five continue their search for this missing ‘treasure.’
The plot thickens.
While walking around the hotel, one of the men dies, leaving only two left. Naturally, per usual in films like this, Reggie ends up falling in love with Alexander. But, before the two get all ‘lovey-dovey’, one of the two remaining criminals admits that, once again, Alexander isn’t who he says he is.
Stuck in a bit of a pickle, he admits that he’s not any of the men he said he was. In actuality, he’s a man named Adam Canfield and he’s only here to steal the money for himself. Even though he admits this, Reggie still finds him attractive.
Anyway, the two go to an outdoor market where Reggie’s husband had one last ‘appointment’ before he died. Adam sees stamps traders and realizes that her deceased husband must have purchased some rare stamps that were now in Reggie’s possession.
The only problem is that these stamps are now missing and Reggie is the only person who knows where they are. She accidentally gave those stamps away to her best friend’s nephew while on vacation in France and a few days earlier.
source: Universal Pictures
Ironically Sylvie and her nephew, named Jean-Louis, happen to be at the same stamp collectors that Adam and Reggie were at a few minutes earlier. Before Jean-Louis could trade in his stamps, thankfully, Reggie stops him.
Exhausted, Reggie returns to the hotel room where she finds ANOTHER one of the henchmen murdered. Chillingly, before the man died, he wrote in blood on the floor of his hotel room the name ‘Dyle.’ Reggie, understanding who that is, calls Hamilton Bartholomew, who wishes to meet with her.
While on her way to meet the CIA administrator, ‘Peter/Alexander/Adam’ spots her and proceeds to chase her through the streets of Paris. She manages to evade him and finds Bartholomew at the spot where they’re supposed to meet up.
Before she could actually talk to him, she gets stopped by Adam, who tells her that Bartholomew is actually Carson Dyle. He claims that he wasn’t killed in the heist only wounded. Reggie doesn’t understand how this could be possible, seeing that they met in his office only days before.
Adam tells her that he cleverly scheduled their appointments so that when the real Bartholomew was on his lunch break, they could meet uninterrupted.
source: Universal Pictures
The chase continues through an empty theatre where ultimately Bartholomew is shot and killed by Adam. After that whole ordeal, the two go to the US Embassy the next morning to return the stamps. Inside, they’re escorted to the office of Brian Cruikshank, a Treasury official who is responsible for stolen items.
They go inside the office and Reggie finds out that Adam is actually Brian Cruikshank. Reggie, who still isn’t dismayed that this guy lied to her throughout this whole entire ordeal, wants to marry him. Finally, the movie ends with Brian relenting, while Reggie sits on his lap, promising him that they’ll have four kids based on the four names that he used during their escapades.
Why This Perfectly Captures Stanley Donen’s Career
source: Universal Pictures
Stanley Donen really outdid himself on this one.
Charade is one of the most interesting, funny and exhilarating films I’ve ever seen. It definitely pays to watch this film without any spoilers. I know that the first time I watched it, I wanted more, and I think that’s a testament to Stanley Donen as a director.
From cheery movies likeSingin’ In The Rain, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers to more grounded ones like, Indiscreetand Two For the Road, Charade is that happy medium. With a perfect blend of drama, sex and comedy, Stanley Donen took a script that could’ve been a Hitchcock copy and turned it into his own. This is why Stanley Donen is my favorite director. He isn’t some knock-off of a director that came before him, he’s unique in his own right, and for that, I thank him.
Anybody Got A Match? 