Arabesque – Review

After a devious murder, a mysterious hieroglyphic message is found by the killer. As American professor David Pollock (Peck) teaches his class in London about decoding hieroglyphics, he is monitored by a shadowy figure. Next, he finds himself drawn into a spinning world of crime, action, mystery thrills and misconceptions.

As the man watching Pollock’s class offers him a meeting with a rich businessman, David says he is not interested. However, as he is jogging in the park, and flailing his arms ridiculously, he is pulled into a sweet Rolls Royce. Pollock thinks this is a makeshift kidnapping about the business matter he declined, however instead it is a Middle East prime minister named Hassan Jena (Duering) who insists David takes the offer.

Agreeing with Jena, Pollock allows himself to be hired by a rich businessman named Nejim Beshraavi (Badel) who has a copy of the strange hieroglyphics on a small piece of paper. David is to decode its contents, and is not to leave the grand estate. Good thing super hottie Yasmin Azir (Loren) and her constant outfit changes are also in the house. As David is swept up by her beauty, his job and life soon go fully off the rails. Unsure of what is going on or who he can actually trust, Pollock does his best to keep his head on his shoulders.

Arabesque is a bit dated and won’t work for all viewers today, but I had a good time with it. It has both silliness and serious aspects, while dishing out some clever lines and constant Sophia Loren fashion updates. The cast is decent, and Gregory Peck seems much looser and more aloof than many of his usual serious and stiff characters from other films.

The mysteries of the story are interesting enough, and it’s not a very long flick, so that helps with pacing. The element of whether or not you have a good time is probably the comedy. I found it had plenty of winning lines, and its overall frivolous vibe made for fun viewing. It is definitely not a spoof or a satire, but does have some ludicrous situations and an atmosphere of comical entertainment.