The Truth About Charlie 2002

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: It's messy in the best and worst ways -- tremendously vivid but narratively overwrought. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: The truth about The Truth About Charlie is that it's no Charade, the 1963 romantic comedy-mystery on which it is based. It's better, in almost every way. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: 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. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: The Truth About Charlie isn't stupid or dull, but it has just too many flaws for me to recommend it. Read more

Susan Stark, Detroit News: An almost dizzying experience, but pleasantly so. Read more

Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: Demme gets a lot of flavor and spice into his Charade remake, but he can't disguise that he's spiffing up leftovers that aren't so substantial or fresh. Read more

Elvis Mitchell, New York Times: Most of the film's allure comes from the sensual, butter-voiced Thandie Newton; with her, Mr. Demme has found the 21st-century corollary to Audrey Hepburn. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Charade was magic; Charlie isn't, but it's a pleasant Paris-flavored treat, beret or no. Read more

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Excessively clever and minimally charming, so eager to demonstrate its undeniable cinematic skills that it ends up outsmarting itself, showing off for its own pleasure when it should be trying to satisfy the rest of us. Read more

Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle: Not counting a few gross-out comedies I've been trying to forget, this is the first film in a long time that made me want to bolt the theater in the first 10 minutes. Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: No matter how you slice it, Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton are not Hepburn and Grant, two cinematic icons with chemistry galore. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: It would be hard to think of a recent movie that has worked this hard to achieve this little fun. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Where a melting little meringue is wanted, Demme delivers a big, doughy sticky-bun of a movie, stuffed with little currants of other films. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: The ferociously talented Thandie Newton is responsible for the film's satisfying fullness. Its emptiness is largely due to a wan Mark Wahlberg. Read more

John Powers, L.A. Weekly: The boyish, goofily smiling Wahlberg is egregiously out of place as the kind of charming-ambiguous dreamboat you'd have to be Cary Grant to pull off. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: A movie that, rather than skip along the Seine, more or less slogs its way through soggy Paris, tongue uncomfortably in cheek. Read more

David Ansen, Newsweek: Read more

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: I realize that Mark Wahlberg is not Cary Grant, but shouldn't there be some compensating reason for his presence in this movie? Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: It's a forgery that diminishes not only the originality and pleasure of the film it copies, but also the entire school of filmmaking it wants to emulate. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: 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. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Newton draws our attention like a magnet, and acts circles around her better known co-star, Mark Wahlberg. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: If it is true that there will never be another Audrey Hepburn, and it is, I submit it is also true that there will never be another Thandie Newton. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: I just sort of went along for the quasi-enjoyable ride in The Truth About Charlie, crappy and nonsensical as it may be on the whole. Read more

Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle: It's a sometimes interesting remake that doesn't compare to the brilliant original. Read more

David Edelstein, Slate: The truth is that The Truth About Charlie gets increasingly tiresome. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: An uneven but engaging remake of the 1963 romantic caper Charade. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: The progression of Charlie from a cinematic lark into a yarn that becomes pretty knotty takes a good deal of the helium out of it. Read more

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: The affectionate loopiness that once seemed congenital to Demme's perspective has a tough time emerging from between the badly dated cutesy-pie mystery scenario and the newfangled Hollywood post-production effects. Read more