Cactus Flower drags, which is probably the worst thing that can be said of a light comedy. It's due to sloppy direction by Gene Saks and the miscasting of Walter Matthau opposite Ingrid Bergman.

Ahmad’s choice of canvas is full of meaning. In Arabic, the word for cactus – saber – is the same as the word for patience. For Palestinians, the plant has always been a symbol of patience ...