Arabesque

As has been duly noted before, "Arabesque" is essentially an update of Stanley Donen's own "Charade." This time, however, the plot twists are more convoluted, the camerwork is decidedly more "mod" (shooting through chandeliers, reflections in sunglass lenses, etc.) and there is an even greater emphasis on the female star's wardrobe. If the story is more confusing and less compelling than "Charade," it certainly isn't at the expense of entertainment. Its derivative nature (it not only incorporates parts of "Charade," but also the drunk and cropdusting scenes from "North by Northwest") prevents "Arabesque" from entering the elevated realm of its predecessor, but it's a delight, nevertheless. Its strongest selling point, really, is the utterly delectable Sophia Loren as Yasmin, the side-switching enigma. It is a strong statement to declare that the glorious Miss Loren has never appeared more beautiful, before or since, than in this film--but I'm willing to take the risk. Her huge, almond, almost Egyptian eyes; tawny, caramel-colored skin; lustrous hair; and world-famous curves have never been seen to better advantage. (Her stunning Christian Dior costumes certainly add to her already formidable allure.) She also displays a very nice light comedic touch; it wouldn't be difficult to dislike someone so supernaturally gorgeous, but instead, Loren's natural warmth and humor shine through. Gregory Peck, on the other hand, looks more than a little ragged around the edges; Cary Grant obviously didn't lend Peck any of his age-defying secrets. His performance isn't nearly as bad or hammy as some other reviews have indicated, but where Loren's charisma and beauty aid her in creating a completely different character than Audrey Hepburn's in "Charade," Peck comes off as an unfortunately blurred carbon coby of Grant in that earlier film. Having said that, "Arabesque" still stands on its own merits as a cracking good comedy-thriller; the final few scenes are terrifically suspenseful. Alan Badel makes a wonderfully oily villain (love the shades!), and Kieron Moore adds a healthy shot of dated humor as a jive-talking Arabian (!). Although the twists and turns might be confusing for some, just sit back and bask in the glory that is Sophia Loren. You know the good guys will win in the end, anyway.

Arabesque is a very '60s movie that tries to be both a suspense film and a spy spoof, but doesn't entirely succeed at either.

Director Stanley Donen knew Arabesque's story didn't make a lick of sense (seriously, this is not so much a story full of holes as it is a hole with some story sprinkled in it), so he went for razzle dazzle. The memorable opening scene is heavily influenced by German Expressionism, the scene in the zoo has a Wellesian quality, and the influence of Hitchcock pops up periodically.

In the beginning this works pretty well. But all the most notable scenes, like zoo chase or the silly shower sequence, happen in the first half. After that, the movie is a series of unlikely plot twists, general confusion, and Sophia Loren wardrobe changes. And at the end, any attempt to make sense of the story will only cause you to realize it makes even less sense than you thought.

Even at it's best, this is a pretty cheesy movie. But if it had managed to stay at that cheesy best all the way through, it would have been a far more enjoyable one.

In a few more years when movies from the 1960's are studied clinically with an eye to their historical development, this one will be a technical standout. For sheer visual beauty, cinematic virtuosity, and musical score, it ought to have been a big winner in its own time. That it was not can be deduced from the few comments recorded here with respect to its failures in text and casting, all of which are obvious and quite fatal.

Not to be repetitious, I nevertheless agree that Peck was miscast. Moreover, his character as conceived was a ludicrous echo of the typical 1960's hero, and I doubt that any actor could have carried it off -- even Sean Connery and certainly not Cary Grant. Add to that several other cartoonish elements in the plot and you have the sad spectre of beauty defiled.

Watch it for Sophia Loren and the Mancini score alone and you will be delighted.

This film is a bit dated (1966) but the plot twists and turns keep you watching. With Gregory Peck knocking off one liners and Sophia Loren for eye candy, this film is a good one to catch if you have never seen it before...The villains in the film are a bit over the top and a tad campy but this only adds to the charm of the film.

This movie is reminiscent of Charade in that it is a thriller that is lighthearted in places. Highlights of Arabesque are Gregory Peck playing the somewhat bumbling type, Sophia Loren's exotic beauty, and some memorable humorous situations like Pollack hiding in the shower with Jasmin while being questioned and later the two of them trailing the guy who drops the candy wrappers. The ending action sequence with the press conference, the horse chase, and the helicopter were also well done. All in all, very good entertainment, 7/10.