Arabesque (1966)

Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren star in a silly comedy thriller about an archaeology professor thrust into a criminal adventure when tasked with decoding some ancient hieroglyphs.

It’s shot in an inventive way, with the use of mirrors and reflections, plus strange angles and vantage points. There’s a great scene in which a drugged Peck weaves in and out of motorway traffic, with the film rendering his altered perception. 

The problem is that it’s just not very entertaining. The parts played for comedy simply aren’t funny. The script is poor, and – other than Peck and Loren – the acting is woeful. Worst of all, the villain (played by a hammy Alan Badel) is absolutely awful.

Would I watch it again? Absolutely not.