Regina (Audrey Hepburn) comes Paris from a vacation where knew Peter (Gary Grant) and finds that her husband Charlie has been murdered and which he was more than he seemed , as the police (Jacques Marin) produces several passports that show Charlie with a different name and disguise . She also discovers that she now has a trio (James Coburn, George Kennedy) of her spouse's former colleagues following her , looking for his hidden cache of money . Regina on the run from crooks and double agents who want the loot her husband stole during WWII .
This is a sparklingly sophisticated comedy/thriller/romance with Donen's stylish direction and full of plot twists and red herrings . From the opening credits by Maurice Binder to the ending entertainment and amusement is well provided . Donen is prepared to resort to all the tricks in the cinematic trade to make this a fascinating thriller . Amusing scenes as the dancing with the orange on the body, Gary Grant in the shower , along with exciting sequences as a rooftop fight between Grant and Kennedy and a nasty firing his pistol at the protagonists through a marble pillars . Due to the suspense, the stars, and the frequent plot twists, many people believe that this is an Alfred Hitchcock film . This confusion has prompted fans of the film to call it "the best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made". Gary Grant is amusingly enigmatic and provides the glamorous mystery element in the plot . A sympathetic Audrey Hepburn is excellent as widow involved in a sinister goings-on around death her husband, she manages to change her Givenchy's dresses at various scenes . Hepburn won prize British Academy to best actress. Glamorous and sophisticated cinematography by Charles Lang . Enjoyable score by Henry Mancini with lyric by Johnny Mandel including catching and classic musical leitmotif .
The motion picture was magnificently directed by Stanley Donen who made in similar style ¨Arabesque¨ with Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren . The posterior Donen films were heavy-handed , exception of ¨Two for the road¨ again with Hepburn , and too few to show if the magic had really gone . It's remade at an inferior version by Jonathan Demme titled ¨The truth about Charlie (2002)¨ with Mark Wahlberg (Peter) and Thandie Newton (Regina) . Rating : Very good, it makes relaxing entertaining and it's a real seat-gripper .
This is a sparklingly sophisticated comedy/thriller/romance with Donen's stylish direction and full of plot twists and red herrings . From the opening credits by Maurice Binder to the ending entertainment and amusement is well provided . Donen is prepared to resort to all the tricks in the cinematic trade to make this a fascinating thriller . Amusing scenes as the dancing with the orange on the body, Gary Grant in the shower , along with exciting sequences as a rooftop fight between Grant and Kennedy and a nasty firing his pistol at the protagonists through a marble pillars . Due to the suspense, the stars, and the frequent plot twists, many people believe that this is an Alfred Hitchcock film . This confusion has prompted fans of the film to call it "the best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made". Gary Grant is amusingly enigmatic and provides the glamorous mystery element in the plot . A sympathetic Audrey Hepburn is excellent as widow involved in a sinister goings-on around death her husband, she manages to change her Givenchy's dresses at various scenes . Hepburn won prize British Academy to best actress. Glamorous and sophisticated cinematography by Charles Lang . Enjoyable score by Henry Mancini with lyric by Johnny Mandel including catching and classic musical leitmotif .
The motion picture was magnificently directed by Stanley Donen who made in similar style ¨Arabesque¨ with Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren . The posterior Donen films were heavy-handed , exception of ¨Two for the road¨ again with Hepburn , and too few to show if the magic had really gone . It's remade at an inferior version by Jonathan Demme titled ¨The truth about Charlie (2002)¨ with Mark Wahlberg (Peter) and Thandie Newton (Regina) . Rating : Very good, it makes relaxing entertaining and it's a real seat-gripper .