"What's that? Looks like a fish!" Modesty will live forever, despite the best efforts of Gabriel and Joseph Losey
Added 6/20/2009
Monica Vitti as Modesty Blaise has such a thick Italian accent and such minimal acting skills you're never sure if she's inviting you to her bed or telling you she wants another helping of spaghetti. Joseph Losey, the director, has attempted a comedy thriller along the lines of a Jane Bond knock off. All he and his screenwriter, Evan Jones, have managed to wring out of such a stale idea, stale even in 1966, is lead-foot comedy dialogue, mannered characters which must have embarrassed the actors who played them, and an awkward, ham-handed, swinging style. Not only is what are supposed to be amusing send-ups not, the pace of the movie is as flaccid as a month-old cucumber
Thank goodness Modesty Blaise, as Peter O'Donnell gave her to us, first in his comic strip and then in his novels, is indestructible. She don't need no Joseph Losey or Monica Vitti to bring her to life...just O'Donnell's words and our own imagination.
O'Donnell was asked to write a screenplay based on his popular comic strip character. He did, turned it over to Losey, and watched while the script was re-written, changed, neutered and nudged until he, and just about everyone else, conceded that the caricature of Modesty in the film had almost no resemblance to the smart, shrewd, tough, resourceful woman O'Donnell created. The movie was made and flopped. O'Donnell took his original script, rewrote it as a novel titled Modesty Blaise and the novel was a big success.
Here we have Modesty in awful Sixties styles (and with an awful Sixties soundtrack) hired by British intelligence to foil a plot by the criminal mastermind, Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde, in a performance he probably regretted for the rest of his life). A huge sum in diamonds is in play to secure a middle-east oil deal. Gabriel plans to heist the ice. It will be Modesty and her faithful friend, Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp), against the swish, effete Gabriel and his band of vicious exaggerations, ranging from a mad accountant to a collection of pretty young men. Keep an eye out for Mrs. Fothergill, played by Rosella Falk. She's another lush plate of lasagna, one with thighs of steel and the habits of a psychopathic dominatrix. That's a lotta pasta. Gabriel rather cares for her.
If you're as fond of Modesty as I am, watch this movie to see for yourself the depths to which some creative types fall while confusing their talent with talent. Losey even has Modesty and Willie sing a jaunty partnership song. Vitti and Stamp are not dubbed. They are stunningly awkward. So's the song. The movie is a misbegotten product from the casting to the writing to the direction. I'm giving this movie one star, not because I'm fond of the real Modesty, but because Losey and Jones, with their screenplay and direction, made such a long (nearly two hours), confused, unconvincing and joyless film.
All will not be in vain, however, if you are intrigued by Peter O'Donnell's erotic, original and often violent creation. Start your love affair with Modesty by reading his first novel, Modesty Blaise. You'd have to be a dried, stale old prune not to want Modesty to come to your aid and comfort, with Willie Garvin, her knife-wielding platonic best friend, as back-up for the aid part.
2 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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This is truly awful - both in and of itself and especially in comparison with the assured and sophisticated novels. Modesty Blaze is here played as a silly vain woman, not as a world-wise leader of men, her side-kick looks too weak to lift his own luggage and their government contact is a twit. It's intended to be hip, 60's pop-adelic 'like wow man' but it is simply a reminder of how self-indulgent and lame most of that was.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Modesty Bad!
Added 4/14/2006
About a long while ago I saw on my digital cable that "Modesty Blaise" was going to be on the Fox Movie Channel so I taped it since that I was going to see another movie. When I watched the film later on, I couldn't believe how bad it was. For those that are thinking about buying this movie on DVD, DON'T! It is as of now the worst 60's movie that I have ever seen and there are enough holes to fill swiss cheese. The thing that really kills me is that Monica Vitti (an Italian actress who-hello!-is playing a British spy) changes her hair from black to blond and back again; as if we have two Modesty Blaises. Also of note I couldn't see most of the opening credits as it surrounded by a pop title song! (that seems to be modeled later by "Barbarella" which was based on a comic book like this one) The movie may be 119 minutes long but it drags on and on. In conclusion, this is one that you shouldn't bother.
2 out of 10 people found this helpful.
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Better than I remember it being, but still not recommended
Added 11/7/2005
I saw "Modesty Blaise" in the cinema when it was first released in 1966. At that time I had already read the book, which I loved, and I came away from the cinema thinking that this travesty, this blasphemy of a movie was total trash.
Peter O'Donnell, the author of the book and the comic strip that inspired the movie, went on to write a whole series of books about Modesty Blaise, and I loved them all, especially the first five - six of them, after which the series declined somewhat. I became a greater and greater fan of Modesty Blaise, and my memory of this movie remained completely negative.
Why this negativity? Because the movie does not follow the true concept of Modesty at all. The Modesty books are intelligent and exciting and character-driven, with a touch of humor. In particular, the characters of Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin (Modesty's loyal side-kick) and their unusual relationship are key factors in the books.
This movie, on the other hand, is just plain silly. It's "campy", with all of the characters acting strangely and with everything that is done being exaggerated. Modesty and Willie, who are both poorly cast relative to their appearance and physique as described in the books, even break into song a couple of times!
So as a movie depicting the "true Modesty Blaise" this movie deserves one star, even though the script does actually follow the first book to a large extent, although everything is modified a bit one way or another.
Now I've watched the movie again on DVD, and my opinion is less harsh.
If you take the point of view that this isn't a Modesty Blaise movie, but a Joseph Losey movie, then it isn't all that bad. Joseph Losey (the director) did have a specific idea of what kind of (campy) movie he wanted to make, and by gum, he did make it.
"Modesty Blaise" (the movie) lasts all of two hours, and the style is consistent and sure. Everyone acts consistently silly, the plot is silly, the action is silly and even the theme song (although catchy) is silly. So if you're in the mood for a silly, campy movie, you've come to the right place.
In fact, if I was a fan of campy movies then I might be giving this movie four or five stars. But I'm not, so I'll leave it at three stars. But it does deserve that simply for the consistent weirdness and for the song "Ice is Nice", sung by Bob Breen. (There's actually a sound track CD available!)
Incidentally, there is no extra material on the DVD, although it does include sound tracks in English, French and Spanish.
Over the years there was often talk of a new Modesty movie, and finally in 2003 "My Name is Modesty" was made and released directly to DVD. Comparing this movie with "My Name is Modesty" (which I also give three stars) I can say that the big difference is in the intention.
"Modesty Blaise" (the movie) was not intended to be a true Modesty movie, so it fails if that is what one is looking for. But it succeeds fairly well in what it was attempting to be, namely a campy movie.
"My Name is Modesty", on the other hand, really was trying to be a true Modesty movie, so it simply fails.
We true blue Modesty fans are still waiting for a good Modesty movie.
Rennie Petersen
3 out of 9 people found this helpful.
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Fun, but not Modesty
Added 8/6/2005
The movie is mildly entertaining, but only one single line from Peter O'Donnall's script survived, "I am Mr. Fothergill." So, if you've seen the film, don't think you know anything about Modesty Blaise. Read the books from Titan, or the serial story in Comics Revue monthly.
3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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"What's that? Looks like a fish!" Modesty will live forever, despite the best efforts of Gabriel and Joseph Losey
Added 6/20/2009
Monica Vitti as Modesty Blaise has such a thick Italian accent and such minimal acting skills you're never sure if she's inviting you to her bed or telling you she wants another helping of spaghetti. Joseph Losey, the director, has attempted a comedy thriller along the lines of a Jane Bond knock off. All he and his screenwriter, Evan Jones, have managed to wring out of such a stale idea, stale even in 1966, is lead-foot comedy dialogue, mannered characters which must have embarrassed the actors who played them, and an awkward, ham-handed, swinging style. Not only is what are supposed to be amusing send-ups not, the pace of the movie is as flaccid as a month-old cucumber
Thank goodness Modesty Blaise, as Peter O'Donnell gave her to us, first in his comic strip and then in his novels, is indestructible. She don't need no Joseph Losey or Monica Vitti to bring her to life...just O'Donnell's words and our own imagination.
O'Donnell was asked to write a screenplay based on his popular comic strip character. He did, turned it over to Losey, and watched while the script was re-written, changed, neutered and nudged until he, and just about everyone else, conceded that the caricature of Modesty in the film had almost no resemblance to the smart, shrewd, tough, resourceful woman O'Donnell created. The movie was made and flopped. O'Donnell took his original script, rewrote it as a novel titled Modesty Blaise and the novel was a big success.
Here we have Modesty in awful Sixties styles (and with an awful Sixties soundtrack) hired by British intelligence to foil a plot by the criminal mastermind, Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde, in a performance he probably regretted for the rest of his life). A huge sum in diamonds is in play to secure a middle-east oil deal. Gabriel plans to heist the ice. It will be Modesty and her faithful friend, Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp), against the swish, effete Gabriel and his band of vicious exaggerations, ranging from a mad accountant to a collection of pretty young men. Keep an eye out for Mrs. Fothergill, played by Rosella Falk. She's another lush plate of lasagna, one with thighs of steel and the habits of a psychopathic dominatrix. That's a lotta pasta. Gabriel rather cares for her.
If you're as fond of Modesty as I am, watch this movie to see for yourself the depths to which some creative types fall while confusing their talent with talent. Losey even has Modesty and Willie sing a jaunty partnership song. Vitti and Stamp are not dubbed. They are stunningly awkward. So's the song. The movie is a misbegotten product from the casting to the writing to the direction. I'm giving this movie one star, not because I'm fond of the real Modesty, but because Losey and Jones, with their screenplay and direction, made such a long (nearly two hours), confused, unconvincing and joyless film.
All will not be in vain, however, if you are intrigued by Peter O'Donnell's erotic, original and often violent creation. Start your love affair with Modesty by reading his first novel, Modesty Blaise. You'd have to be a dried, stale old prune not to want Modesty to come to your aid and comfort, with Willie Garvin, her knife-wielding platonic best friend, as back-up for the aid part.
2 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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This is truly awful - both in and of itself and especially in comparison with the assured and sophisticated novels. Modesty Blaze is here played as a silly vain woman, not as a world-wise leader of men, her side-kick looks too weak to lift his own luggage and their government contact is a twit. It's intended to be hip, 60's pop-adelic 'like wow man' but it is simply a reminder of how self-indulgent and lame most of that was.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
Modesty Bad!
Added 4/14/2006
About a long while ago I saw on my digital cable that "Modesty Blaise" was going to be on the Fox Movie Channel so I taped it since that I was going to see another movie. When I watched the film later on, I couldn't believe how bad it was. For those that are thinking about buying this movie on DVD, DON'T! It is as of now the worst 60's movie that I have ever seen and there are enough holes to fill swiss cheese. The thing that really kills me is that Monica Vitti (an Italian actress who-hello!-is playing a British spy) changes her hair from black to blond and back again; as if we have two Modesty Blaises. Also of note I couldn't see most of the opening credits as it surrounded by a pop title song! (that seems to be modeled later by "Barbarella" which was based on a comic book like this one) The movie may be 119 minutes long but it drags on and on. In conclusion, this is one that you shouldn't bother.
2 out of 10 people found this helpful.
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