Simply A Masterpiece

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

after more than a half of century, important remains the cast. the story reminds others from the Cold War, the intrigue is the same like others films about secrets, espionage and innocent victims. but Sophia Loren and Gregory Peck are good ingredients for memories about a seductive woman, a professor and a long pieces of complicated puzzle. and this is the motif, the basic motif, for not ignore a story who gives the chance to the actors to do a beautiful work. and to remember the atmosphere of a Hollywood more interested by real seductive subjects.

Definitely not Peck's best effort. A potentially interesting idea that is let down by some poor acting, inane dialogue and some ham-fisted editing, most noticeable in action sequences i.e. when someone is struck, etc. Loren is quite beautiful but appears to be running on autopilot. Compared to To Kill a Mockingbird, Peck's acting doesn't find its feet and he appears unsure of whether to be serious or play it for laughs; all in all an uncomfortable performance. Both principals have done better. Some minor characters are quite annoying though probably because of the inanities of the script. Easily eclipsed by some telemovies of the period. Camera work is typical of the era but nowhere near as arty as The Thomas Crown Affair. Forget it. It comes across like one of those eastern European flicks where they blew the budget (such as it was) on the principal actors and had nothing left over to refine the script or hire better supporters. Watch Charade instead.

Professor David Pollock (Gregory Peck) is an ancient hieroglyphics expert. There is a plot against a Middle Eastern Prime Minister Hassan Jena. Wealthy Beshraavi (Alan Badel) wants Pollock's help but he rejects him at first. However Jena convinces Pollock to infiltrate Beshraavi's organization to uncover the plot. Beshraavi hires him to translate a piece of hieroglyphic code which another professor was killed for. Beshraavi seems to threaten Pollock. Beshraavi's mistress Yasmin Azir (Sophia Loren) is a mysterious figure who seems to have ulterior motives. This is all style over substance. Pollock jumps right in without much deliberations. He is way too clueless. The story is questionable at best. It is trying very hard to be stylish. I have to say that it is cool to have Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren together. However it is trying so hard. Beshraavi is basically a Bond villain. It is more comedy than thrilling. If not for the two stars, this would be an unwatchable mess.

Despite being a great admirer of Gregory Peck I didn't enjoy this as much as some of the people who have written here. Time and again Peck was given lines clearly written for Cary Grant and you could actually hear Grant delivering them, his distinctive voice superimposed over Peck's. Given his clout - two decades as an A-list star and a very recent Oscar- winner as Best Actor I'm surprised he didn't press for a re-write with dialogue tailored for himself. The sixties were, of course, the time of lsd 'trips' and 65 per cent of the camera-work looks as though the operator was 'tripping', shooting through any and everything that was reflective. The plot is very much Boy's Own Paper and for reasons best known to the Producers they signed Mr. Mahogany Keiron Moore to play a part best describes as '2nd villain', with Alan Badel copping the 'Villain-in-Chief role. It moves at a fair clip and the sloppy writing allows for 'once- out-of-the-well' situations about every fifteen pages. Worth watching but not revisiting.