Indiscreet (1958)

Synopsis:

A famous stage actress, Anna Kalman (Ingrid Bergman, Casablanca), meets and falls in love with a debonair banker, Philip Adams (Cary Grant, North by Northwest), while taking a break from work in her London flat. But after she finds out that Philip is married, Anna must decide whether to end the relationship or not.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“There is no sincerity like a woman telling a lie.”

Twelve years after they ignited the screen in Alfred Hitchcock’s masterful thriller Notorious (1946), Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman teamed up for this cosmopolitan rom-com. Although the synopsis doesn’t make it sound all that interesting, Indiscreet is enormously entertaining thanks to Grant and Bergman’s astronomically good chemistry, and a witty script that offers a few nice surprises.

Adapted by Norman Krasna (The Devil and Miss Jones) from his stage play Kind Sir and directed by Stanley Donen (Singin’ in the Rain), Indiscreet is elegant, poignant, and funny in spots. It’s also pretty smart about the affairs of the heart, illustrating clearly how love makes us feel extremely vulnerable, and how scary that can be.

Additionally, it features a twist that’s clever and shocking at the same time. Since I didn’t know anything about the film, the “revelation” took me off guard. I had no idea it was coming, so I was genuinely stunned. Incidentally, the twist is a game changer. For about an hour, the film is very low-key. After that, the tone completely changes, and the rest of the movie unapologetically embraces physical comedy and broad humor.

Grant is a versatile actor, so I wasn’t all that surprised to see him jump from heavy-breathing scenes to goofy slapstick. But, Bergman? The Swedish Queen of Suffering? Truth be told, I was kind of impressed. Bergman isn’t Doris Day, but she is able to keep up with Grant’s antics, and that’s something I never expected to see.

The powerful Grant and Bergman chemistry carry things along, but the small supporting cast is excellent as well. Phyllis Calvert (The Man in Grey) has a few good scenes as Bergman’s sister. Cecil Parker (Under Capricorn) plays Calvert’s husband. Finally, I can’t finish without mentioning Freddie Young’s (Lawrence of Arabia) wonderfully silky Technicolor cinematography, which is perfect for the movie.

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

Although Pillow Talk (1959) is probably my favorite ’50s rom-com, I think that a good argument can be made for Indiscreet as the most sophisticated romantic comedy of the era (it has been reported that this was Cary Grant’s favorite movie role). P.S. Do not, I repeat, do not watch the theatrical trailer because it gives away the twist! Also, please be aware that most synopses contain spoilers. Color, 100 minutes, Not Rated.