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
Indiscreet
1958
Action / Comedy / Romance
Indiscreet
1958
Action / Comedy / Romance
Plot summary
Anna Kalman is a London-based actress. She has been unable to find love in her life. The reason why she came home early from a vacation to Majorca fits into that theme, as the man she met there and was initially attracted to ended up not being who she thought he was as a man. Upon her arrival home, she meets the suave Philip Adams, a financier who is a work acquaintance of her brother-in-law, diplomat Alfred Munson. Philip initially states that there is no Mrs. Adams in his life. But when Anna later asks him out, he clarifies that statement in that there is no Mrs. Adams in London, as she is at home in San Francisco. Regardless, Anna decides still to ask him on the date she had intended to the ballet. He accepts, letting her know that whatever happens between the two of them that he will never be able to leave his wife. As time goes on, the two fall in love, their happiness which can only be sustained as long as Philip has his Paris-based contract with NATO. So, when Philip announces that he is being transferred to New York for five months, Anna comes to the realization that she truly cannot live without him and wants to marry him. Shortly thereafter, Anna learns something about Philip's background, which not only threatens their relationship, but leads to a night that Anna wants to give him that he will never forget, and not in a good way. But the best laid plans may have a bumpy road to being executed effectively.
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Charming and beautifully filmed, if rather pedestrian and slight
While clever, it's hard to really like Grant or Bergman in this film
This film was a pretty big risk for Ingrid Bergman to take. About a decade earlier, her very public affair with Roberto Rossellini temporarily damaged her career. Because of this, it seems pretty surprising that in this film she'd play a woman who knowingly has an affair with a supposedly married man. Oddly, however, despite this being an affair, the film seems to imply that they never get around to actually committing adultery! They spend lots of time together and whisper sweet nothings to each other, but their relationship seems sex-less! I'm sure this would have been handled very differently if it were made today.
As for the rest of the film, it tries very hard to be a romance--with excellent music and cinematography to set the mood. The problem is for me, adultery (or "near-adultry" like in this film) is a MAJOR turnoff! You can't get past the fact that Ingrid and Cary seem like very selfish people. Later, however, in a very, very bizarre plot twist, you find out that there is a lot more to the affair than meets the eye. What exactly this is and how the film then becomes a bit more of a romantic-comedy is just something you'll have to see for yourself.
The bottom line is that this is a pretty agreeable time-passer but also NOT one of the stars' better films. Call me old fashioned (which I am),but selfish and slutty appearing behavior is not compatible with romance.
lovely film, lovely stars
You can't get much higher on the star ladder than Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, and these two are reunited for the light comedy, "Indiscreet," based on the play "Kind Sir." It's about a successful actress in London who's through with men and suddenly becomes very interested in them again when she's introduced to Cary Grant. He could sure shake me out the doldrums, too. The trouble with Grant is that he's a married man...he says.
Bergman is charming and quite funny. I especially love the phone call when Grant calls up from the lobby - all for the benefit of the apartment staff - and she makes faces, rolls her eyes and indicates that this charade of "oh, well, just come up for one drink then" is only for the sake of her reputation - meanwhile, she's found out about a charade of his own and is ripping mad at him. She plots to get even with him - and what a plot! I love the way this film was done - these two are having an affair but it's only assumed, never actually shown. Grant is his usual stunningly handsome, elegant self, and few actors had his turn of a phrase or panache. He and Bergman, as in Notorious, make a beautiful, magnetic couple. This is not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it is a delight. This film was remade for TV with the gorgeous Lesley-Anne Down and Robert Wagner, but it wasn't the same without the stars and Stanley Donen's touch.