On A List of Movie Reviews
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Arabesque (1966)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
3/25
3/25:
I was back and forth between '5' and '6' before settling on the former for Arabesque.
Although much better than Charade, it's still a rip-off of Hitchcock's
formula. Cary Grant was actually offered the leading role, but he showed no interest, so it went to Gregory
Peck. A lot of people thought he was either miscast or wrong for this type of film. To be honest with you,
he's pretty good by doing a different take of a Grant-esque character.
I've never liked Sophia Loren and don't care if she's glamorous or whatever. She cannot act and is frigid,
period. I don't think she had ever developed real chemistry with any of her romantic leads. At the same time,
I don't want to say that Audrey Hepburn could've done better because they're exactly the same type...always
about the clothes and the makeup. Enough!
One thing Arabesque has going for itself is style. The photography is excellent throughout and is
superior to most Hitchcock's films. I like the camera work, especially with the reflections. It's cool
and different, reminding me of the avant-garde work in Bullitt. The title
sequence is well-done and is on the same level as The Last Emperor's.
Why I'm down on the film for the most part, apart from the white thespians playing Arabs, is the story. It didn't
make sense for the longest time. When it finally did with the cipher turning out to be a red herring, the last
half-hour became easier to digest. The filmmakers knew all along this would be a problem and said, "Our only
hope is to make it so visually exciting the audience will never have time to work out what the hell is going on."
Intelligence is certainly low throughout. For example, when Pollock, Azir, and Jena were running away on their
horses from the helicopter, they should've stopped in the middle of the forest and stayed there to avoid being
spotted from above. Ditto for the helicopter having no reason to go underneath the railway bridge.
Shooting at these three while staying parallel to it in the air would do.
All in all, I don't mind seeing Arabesque again.