Charade [Criterion Collection]

"Often cited as the best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made, Stanley Donen's stylish and humorous thriller Charade arrives on DVD in fine form courtesy of The Criterion Collection. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the image is crisp and sharp -- offering bright, vivid colors, solid blacks, and even skin tones. The only minor complaint that could be made regarding the transfer is that it is shows minor evidence of edge enhancement in certain scenes. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital Mono and rings through very clear without any notable hiss or distortion. Though not brimming with extra features, this disc does offer some insightful bonus material that will appeal to both longtime fans of the film and those new to the work of Stanley Donen. A commentary track featuring Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone in particular is both an amusing and insightful listen, with the couple bickering at times like an old married couple with great affection for one another despite the occasional conflicting memory. There is no shortage of entertainment value to Donen and Stone's lively discussion, which addresses everything from the weight of the Cuban Missile Crisis on the lighter-than-air party scene to the film being placed in turnaround to their careful handling of minor crises and Cary Grant's indestructible hair. An introduction to the selected filmography on the disc is penned by Stephen M. Silverman (taken from his book Dancing on the Ceiling: Stanley Donen and His Movies) and offers a loving overview of Donen's films. The selected filmography is not, as on many discs, simply a list of films, but instead offers detailed descriptions of Donen's most beloved cinematic endeavors accompanied by a generous amount of film stills, posters, and other assorted images. Though Peter Stone's filmography isn't presented with quite the same reverence, it does offer a good overview in addition to a pair of black-and-white stills from Charade. A quirky full-frame trailer rounds things out nicely by offering a colorful and exciting preview of the comedic mystery."