Indiscreet (1958)

Known at the time almost exclusively for directing and choreographing musicals, Stanley Donen did a fine job bringing 1958's Indiscreet to the screen. The tone and the scenario would have fit a musical quite well, but when you have Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant -- two of the most talented, attractive, and intelligent movie stars ever -- you don't bother with production numbers. Adapted by Norman Krasna from his own play, the material is clever and edgy (especially for the time) but pretty standard romantic comedy fare. Grant and Bergman, who had previously starred together in Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious, elevate the film to particularly satisfying fun. Playing in the slightly risqué Indiscreet was a risky choice for Bergman, who had just recently (with 1956's Anastasia) been accepted back into American films following her affair with, marriage to, and then divorce from filmmaker Roberto Rossellini. Grant had begun to show his age a bit, as had Bergman, but he was still working steadily as the archetypal leading man. Indiscreet was the second of four movies that he made with Donen in a six-year period: Kiss Them For Me preceded it, while The Grass is Greener and the lovable Charade followed. ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide