Indiscreet

A man (Cary Grant) pretends to be married while romancing an actress (Ingrid Bergman) in London.

Okay, here’s the thing: there’s not much to Indiscreet, but I love it anyway. If ever there was a movie that worked purely on the charisma of its two leads, Indiscreet is it.

Director Stanley Donen wisely gives as much screen time as possible to his stars, indeed there’s hardly a moment one of them isn’t on screen, and that’s why this breezy movie works. The artful sets, designer costumes, and charismatic leads simply hypnotize you for 100 minutes and before you know it, the end credits are rolling and you’ve got a smile on your face.

The movie is relentlessly charming. From the nervous jitters of Grant and Bergman’s characters’ first date, to Grant’s memorable closing line, this is a hard film to hate. Sure, it’s all fluff, but the film never pretends to be anything more, and there’s a certain satisfaction in seeing a simple story perfectly told.