Let’s get to the best part of “The Truth About Charlie:” Thandie Newton. Now that that is over, let’s get to the worst part of the movie: everything else.
Director Jonathan Demme, who once was very good, has made the worst film since “Pearl Harbor.” This is no easy feat considering some of the wretched and diseased celluloid that gets spewed across movie screens on a monthly basis. One laughs out loud at unintentionally funny moments, but there aren’t even enough of those to make this a campy experience. It’s sad to say that this isn’t even up to par with “Showgirls.” It’s just rotten.
Based on the absolutely wonderful 1963 gem “Charade,” starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, “The Truth About Charlie” is about a widow who learns that her murdered husband was a wicked scoundrel who cheated a dangerous bunch of mercenaries out of millions of dollars.
While running away from these thugs in Paris, Newton meets a handsome mystery man, played by Mark Wahlberg, who may not be who he says he is.
Newton is a suitable substitute for the immortally adorable Hepburn. She has the right sprightliness for the part, but that is the only thing remaining from the original. While she is cute and charming dealing with her high jinks, the movie is not.
As for Wahlberg, he is definitely no replacement for Cary Grant. After good turns in films like “Boogie Nights” and “Three Kings,” in which he played characters who weren’t too bright, Wahlberg now proves those were flukes and that he has no talent. The phallic Muppet that Wahlberg dangled between his legs at the end of “Boogie Nights” has more talent than he does.