October 25, 2002

By Veronica Mixon

This cheery remake of Charades is Jonathan Demme's latest film effort. The suave thriller, which originally starred Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, was one of Demme's favorite films and one can understand why. This lighthearted whodunit set on the streets of Paris requires you to carefully think about the plot and finally carefully guess/figure out the ending.

Demme's modern day The Truth About Charlie stars beautiful Thandie Newton as Regina Lambert, Charlie's naive wife who returns from a Caribbean vacation and discovers that her apartment is empty and her husband is dead. Mark Wahlberg is Joshua Peters, a dishy guy Regina spotted on the beach and her new best friend as Regina faces the fact that her life has fallen apart. The police, lead by tough Commander Dominique (Christine Boisson) think his accidental death is fishy and Regina soon learns that they're right after talking to Mr. Bartholomew (Tim Robbins), a government official.

He informs her that Charlie hid a fortune and some of his old soldier buddies (including Lisa Gay Hamilton) are after their share. Regina tells him she knows nothing about any money and Bartholomew say, "You know where it is, you just don't know it!"

The key to this puzzle is hidden in Charlie's possessions that Regina collects from the police. However, she discovers that no one is trustworthy - including Joshua! The chase is on to discover the answers and the mystery about her husband really was!

Jonathan Demme, who is best known for his Academy Award winning thriller, Silence of the Lambs, easily captures the light, airy nature of the romantic thriller in The Truth About Charlie. We race around Paris and are enchanted by the rain soaked streets, markets and hotels. His choice of Thandie Newton is perfect too. A few years ago, they teamed up for the extraordinary drama, Beloved.

Newton is exuberant as she dashes around the city with Wahlberg chasing clues. She has the giddiness of Meg Ryan but she also possesses her own unique charm. She certainly makes Mark Wahlberg look and sound better than he is. The young Boston-born rapper turned actor (Boogie Nights, Three Kings) has developed into a leading man but there are times when he appears a bit awkward here. This part would have been perfect for George Clooney (the first choice). Wahlberg seems haunted by his working-class background and doesn't quite project Parisian sophistication. But, paired with the beautiful Newton and dueling with the various shady characters, he manages to get through it.

The Truth About Charlie will never be a classic like the original but it does stand up as a lovely enthusiastic tribute to romantic adventure.