Indiscreet

A British-based light romantic comedy,adapted from a stage play,INDISCREET is basically a gossamer-thin opus which is often constrained by it's theatrical origins,but is totally redeemed by the incomparable Cary Grant and the almost-as-incomparable Ingrid Bergman.The settings,story and characters are frightfully upper-middle class,an often resistible brew,but Grant's matchless skill as a light comedian and actor,allied with immense charm and ever-youthful handsomeness,and a surprisingly deft comic performance by Bergman,not at her peak of attractiveness but still striking in her early forties,give the sometimes under-nourished script a resonance it didn't really have.The result is a enjoyable and very pleasant hour and a half.It dosen't provoke guffaws or hearty roars of laughter,more a lengthy,admiring smile throughout it's running time,but this is not to it's detriment.Stanley Donen's direction is perfectly adequate,though a greater opening out and use of exterior scenes would have reduced the sometimes static quality of the narrative.The supporting cast consists of familiar British character actors like Cecil Parker,Megs Jenkins,Phyllis Calvert and David Kossoff,always welcome contributors and they add invaluably to the fun.But it is Grant and Bergman who carry the film all the way,also making a potentially maudlin final scene(despite ending rather abruptly)rather sweet and touching.

I, like many others, I'm sure watched this movie because of the star power attached. Fans of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman will not be disappointed. Cary Grant is as debonair and sophisticated as ever and Ingrid Bergman is as glamourous and yet down to earth as ever. The leads share wonderful chemistry and their romance is absolutely believable. The complications that need to be resolved from them to live happily ever after provide great comedic situations. Sparkling dialgoue and sure handed direction from Stanley Donen make this vehicle a must see for fans of these two Hollywood icons, 8/10.

Out of Warner Brothers, Indiscreet is directed by Stanley Donen and stars Ingrid Bergman & Cary Grant, with support coming from Cecil Parker, Phyllis Calvert, David Kossoff & Megs Jenkins. It is based on the play "Kind Sir" written by Norman Krasna. Plot sees Bergman as Anna Kalman, an accomplished actress who can't believe her luck when she finally meets the man of her dreams, Philip Adams (Grant). However, Phillip is keeping a secret, a secret that Anna finds out about and promptly sets about getting even with him for.

Indiscreet is a very simple movie. Grant and Bergman re-team again 12 years after making Notorious with Alfred Hitchcock. Their chemistry is again sparkling and Donen utilises it to the maximum by naturally building the film around the charismatic stars. There's no hidden agendas here, the movie knows it is breezy and understands that good writing (edgy at times) and two comfortable actors can make for good entertainment. It starts off slow, but the character build up pays off once Grant & Bergman start their romance, in fact the comedy is indeed thin on the ground for the first half of the film. But once the secret at the core of the plot is out, the comedy kicks into gear, with a dancing party sequence joyous and alone is worth watching the film for.

Also note worthy is the London location which provides a fitting back drop to the well mannered, well to do, coupling of Anna & Phillip. While the costumes too are pleasing and hang nicely off of the two aesthetically safe-in middle-age actors. It's no screwball, far from it, so any expectation of that will surely disappoint newcomers. And true to say it's very old fashioned and of its time as regards its romantic ideals. But that's OK, we like light hearted well written comedy, especially when it's performed as smooth as it is here. 7/10

In general, I liked Indiscreet. Starting with the film's problems, the story is very slight and some scenes are non-eventful. While not the only film to suffer from this problem, the pacing has a tendency to become very pedestrian, and finally the film's length(100 minutes) may try the viewer's patience, especially with the slow pacing. But even with its problems, it is a charming film, not as good in my opinion as An Affair to Remember but there are a lot of good things about it. Indiscreet is lovely to look at, Ingrid Bergman looks really elegant in her dresses and her apartment is drop dead gorgeous! The cinematography and scenery is also really lovely. I also really liked the score, it was haunting and beautiful and had the hypnotic power than Rachmaninov has in his piano concertos. Stanley Donen directs efficiently, and the dialogue does sparkle. As does the performances and chemistry of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, who are great together and each of them are believable in their roles. In terms of effective scenes, the party scene was great fun, it was a real joy to see Grant making "a fool of himself" dancing. Overall, charming if very slight, elevated by the two lead performances. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Average romance/comedy made above average by the mere presence of two legendary movie stars.The story moves along quite slow but romance comedy fans will be rewarded during the second part of the movie as the complications stir up the energy a bit.The script and screenplay could have been much better but the cinematography,despite limited settings,was good enough to capture the charm of the two lead superstars.Only for fans of the lead stars and big fans of romance/comedy movies.......