Indiscreet

1958

 Directed by Stanley Donen

A love story for sure. And not a comedy. Thank you, Stanley. It doesn’t push the excitement level beyond a rather turtle-like pace, and that is nice.

Bergman shows a different side, one that exudes romantic happiness, while Grant gives a very measured performance, one that shows his grace and subtle handsomeness, something he can do in his sleep. Bergman’s beauty, as a middle-aged actress- she was 42 when this flick was shot- is never more enticing. Hell, she was not a traditional beauty; she was more.

Donen’s direction, though workmanlike, is just what this film needed; with a less-than-magnificent screenplay, the words do matter, scene from scene.

This will become one of my favorite Grant films, and the same for Bergman. One might think Grant’s Phillip Adams is somewhat of a cad, but in the end, his take on marriage and women is understandable, and he is more honest than men who just play around and don’t really love the love of their life.

All in all, this project was better on the silver screen than on stage, and with world-class actors like Bergman and Grant, one can appreciate it as a love story.