Arabesque [1966]

See Larger Image	List Price: £12.99 Our Price: £5.97 Availability: Usually dispatched within 7 to 11 days Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK Starring: Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Alan Badel, Kieron Moore, Carl Duering Directed By: Stanley Donen Average Customer Rating:


Audience Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 5050582431407 Format: PAL Label: Universal Pictures UK Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Universal Pictures UK Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2008-05-05 Running Time: 102 Studio: Universal Pictures UK Theatrical Release Date: 1966-09
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Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: Sophia as good as she is all time Comment: Wonderful movie with wonderful story, wonderful actors, wondurvel costumes and wonderful music from Henry Mancini. Sophia represent in this movie completely another side of her talent at movie making. The story interested me from first view and I fall in love. Definetly buy and watch! Customer Rating: Summary: Attempt to repeat the success of "Charade" does not work Comment: Stanley Donen had a varied career, directing a wide range of films. He made a number of very succcessful muscials in the early fifties, before switching to romantic comedies in the late fifties, and then comedy thrillers in the early 60's. The most enjoyable and successful of these was "Charade", released in 1963, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, with fine support from Walter Matthau, James Coburn and others. However, after Charade Donen seemed to lose his touch for a while, making first "Arabesque" with Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, and then "Two for the Road" with Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn. Neither film works for me, and the problems are pretty much the same in each case. In Arabesque, Gregory Peck is horribly miscast as an American Professor of ancient languages who is paid a large sum of money by Alan Badel, hamming it up as a wealthy and corrupt foreign businessman, to translate a mysterious document containing a cryptic message in what looks to be an ancient language. Peck has also been asked for help by an Arabian politician who is later to be the target of an assassination attempt. Held against his will until he completes his task, Peck escapes from Badel's London mansion with Sophia Loren and the document, and the chase is on to find out what the document really means and then to prevent the assassination. So many things are wrong with the film that it is difficult to know where to begin. Gregory Peck is a very fine serious actor, but he does not do comedy well. The serious stoicism that works well in films like Moby Dick and The Big Country makes him seem wooden here. There is no sexual chemistry at all between him and Sophia Loren. Loren is nice to look at, as usual, but she cannot handle rapid-fire, witty dialogue in English. The tortured camera work is often distracting, and many of the stunts and special effects are just badly done. You may want to watch this for completeness if you like Peck and Loren, and clearly one reviewer enjoyed it very much. Each to his or her own. My own advice though is to see Donen's earlier works "Charade" and "The Grass is Greener", then skip "Arabesque" and especially "Two for the Road", which is even worse. Fortunately Donen found his way again with the original version of "Beddazled", so go straight on to that. Customer Rating: Summary: At last! Comment: Why it has taken so long for us to get this brilliantly entertaining movie on DVD is a mystery. That the movie, essentially a typical 60s piece of fluff in the Charade vein, succeeds so well is due in no small part to director Stanley Donen's concept for clever and adroit staging enhanced by some of the very best repartee and cinematography of that period and Henry Mancini underlines it all with yet another of his witty soundtracks. Gregory Peck, never renouned for comedy work here rises superbly to the challenge - he needed to as he is pitted opposite two of the best in the business. Alan Badel is on top form as the suave cynical villain - no surprise there then. However the main honours go to the comedy talent and timing skills of the gorgeous Sophia Loren - never has she looked more stunning and rarely has she had the opportunity to give such a top notch performance. Her acting and well deserved Oscar for Two Women pale into insignificance when measured against her star turn in Arabesque. Customer Rating: Summary: Celebrating in style and brilliant acting of Loren and Peck Comment: I saw this Stanley Donen's treasure when I was just 16years old-in b/w television, and since I'v been real fan of La Loren. Now I'v got this movie to my own liberary and it's outstanding! VHS-tape is very good-and the film itself: one of the most entertaining thriller/comedy of all-time! Loren and Peck has their own rhytm of comedy-and hole story has filmed in fine artistic way.Sophia Loren can just stand in the shower, and she can express all emotions in one look. Acting, story, colour and music have been put forth exiting and beautiful movie-you can just love it!! More Reviews