"What you need now is someone with a PhD in Roughhouse."

Three years on the heels of Stanley Donen's delightful Charade comes his do-over effort Arabesque, a romantic spy thriller set in London. The leading man is Gregory Peck, who plays American David Pollock, a visiting professor of ancient languages who is persuaded by the Arab prime minister to infiltrate the household of a Middle Eastern oil tycoon, who is suspected of nefarious doings. This soon catapults him into the Hitchcockian world of deadly secret agents, spy intrigue, frantic chases and a mysterious cryptogram. He finds himself dubiously partnered with Yasmin Azir, the enigmatic mistress of the oil tycoon, as delectably played by exotic, statuesque beauty Sophia Loren. While questioning the ever shifting allegiance of Yasmin, Pollock must fend off international spies and foil an assassination attempt.

Peck valiantly steps into Cary Grant territory and does an adequate job, although one wonders how the supremely classy Cary Grant (who originally was intended to be the lead) might have fared in the David Pollock role. It's effortless for Peck when the role calls for him to be strong and silent. But here, the role of Pollock requires an actor with a light, urbane touch and a breezy, nonchalant way of conveying clever lines. Unfortunately, there's a level of discomfort present in Peck's measured delivery; Peck sometimes has a tendency to channel wood in his acting ventures. Still, Peck comes with enough gameness and enthusiasm for the part that, in the end, he somewhat pulls it off. Sophia Loren as the switch hitting femme fatale (which side is she really on?) is a definite plus. The shower scene, by the way, is a treat.

Director Stanley Donen felt immense pressure from the studio moguls to repeat the great success of Charade. Cary Grant turned down the role of Pollock because he had had enough of portraying the elderly romancer of women many decades his junior. Grant instead suggested his good buddy Greg Peck. The screenplay is questionable, having gone through numerous revisions. To quote Stanley Donen: "We have to make it so interesting visually that no one will think about it." Accordingly, Donen stylishly directs Arabesque (some very odd camera angles chosen here, and some of the hallucinatory sequences are just plain weird); the film is assisted by Henry Mancini's typically jazzy-cool score (another Charade tie-in).

So, more style than grace, more pop art fluff than substance - still, Donen and the two glamorous stars are more than enough to hold the film together. One of these days, Arabesque will be released in dvd format and, while it may not be Charade, it's still a pretty good sophisticated romantic thriller worthy of being added to anyone's personal collection.

Amusing

This film is very amusing. In fact it is one of my preferred ones.

Frankly, I do not understand why it is not in DVD format!!

The phtography is funny, with several non conventional angles (for example a bathroom seen from above).

Stanley Donen has done an excellent work.

One of Gregory Peck's best..

and yet, this SUPERB film isn't on DVD! ARGH!!!!
David Pollock (Gregory Peck) is an expert in ancient Arabic hieroglyphics. A Middle Eastern Prime Minister convinces Pollock to infiltrate the organization of a man named Beshraavi (Alan Badel), who is involved in a plot against the Prime Minister. The nature of the plot is believed to be found in a hieroglyphic code. Beshraavi's mistress, Yasmin Azir (Sophia Loren) is a mystery intertwined in the plot. Pollock needs her help, but when she repeatedly seems to double cross him in one escapade after another, he can't decide on whose side she is working. Ultimately working together, Pollock and Yasmin decipher the plot and set out to stop an assassination of the Prime Minister.

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