Modesty Blaise (1966) User Reviews

MODESTY BLAISE (Joseph Losey, 1966) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 24 August 2006]

Truth be told, I hated this movie on first viewing many years ago and, in fact, I only just now purchased the utterly bare-bones Fox DVD for three reasons: the disc is now out-of-print; I found it very cheaply (surprisingly) at a local retailer; and, most importantly perhaps, I was prepared to give it another chance thanks to my ongoing (and very rewarding) Losey-thon.

To say that Joseph Losey was a strange choice to helm this picture would be a massive understatement. In his previous films, very rarely (if at all) had he shown that he had any sense of humor, much less the kind of campy, knowing and irreverent one essential for successful comic strip adaptations. As it happens, the film was not well-received and both leads - Monica Vitti (who apparently phoned Michelangelo Antonioni everyday during the shoot) and Terence Stamp - were unhappy making it; there are those who even go so far as to consider it not just Losey's nadir but quite simply one of the worst films ever made! Well, based on that first TV viewing of it, I probably would have endorsed such sentiments myself...

However, my re-acquaintance with it proved something of a minor revelation: while still as uneven as I recalled, I couldn't now deny that there were some delightful elements which, on the whole, made the film palatable and, at times, even endearing: Evan Jones' script was occasionally quite witty, Losey's own trademark odd compositions (usually so overpowering in his melodramas) suited the "anything goes" mood of the material, Jack Hildyard's glossy cinematography of attractive Mediterranean locations, outrageous outfits and groovy production design was top-notch and Losey's frequent composer Johnny Dankworth provided an infectious score.

And what about that cast? Monica Vitti (who would have guessed that she could ever be as attractive and sexy as this judging by her work for Antonioni?), Terence Stamp (gleefully throwing knives, bedding women and engaging in a charming, impromptu singing duet with Vitti while driving up a mountaintop and reprising it for the action-packed finale), Dirk Bogarde (ironically named Gabriel, he was never campier - or gayer - than as the silver-wigged, self-proclaimed "villain of the piece"), Michael Craig (as Vitti's ex-lover and pursuing British agent), Harry Andrews (as a top British Secret Service official firing away bullets from his umbrella), Alexander Knox (as a bumbling British MP forever mispronouncing names and giving out the wrong information), Clive Revill (for no apparent reason in a dual role: as Bogarde's right-hand man who keeps the accounts even on the field of battle and as Vitti's "father", an Arabian Sheik!), Rossella Falk (as the lethal Miss. Fothergill, Bogarde's manly assistant, who keeps a regiment of mostly aging men in shape through arduous physical exercise), Saro Urzi (as a lowly, opera-singing henchman of Bogarde's), Tina Aumont (as an ill-fated conquest/informer of Stamp's) and real-life magician Silvan (as a duplicitous circus performer).

Ultimately, while the plot is too convoluted to follow at times and the film itself may not be in the same league as Mario Bava's DANGER: DIABOLIK (1968) or even Roger Vadim's BARBARELLA (1968), it's certainly an engaging spy spoof and far better than its reputation suggests.

Travesty Blaise

[ShadeGrenade · 5/10 · 6 July 2006]

Fox pinned hopes on 'Modesty' becoming a franchise to rival Bond, but these were cruelly dashed as Joseph Losey's film played to mostly empty theatres in the U.K. and U.S.A. ( it did rather better on the Continent ). Taken on its own terms, its not too bad. Jack Shampan's production design is superb, as is John Dankworth's music, there are a couple of decent performances ( Clive Revill, Harry Andrews, and a wonderfully camp turn from Dirk Bogarde ) and some good moments such as Modesty finding herself trapped in an op art cell. But as an adaptation of Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway's comic-strip, its a non-starter. Monica Vitti fails to project warmth and charm as Modesty, while Terence Stamp sounds like Michael Caine on an off-day. The scene where they sing a romantic duet whilst under fire is just painful. Losey was clearly not the right director for this project. Fox made a rather more successful 'girl power' Bond thriller a year later - 'Fathom', starring Raquel Welch.

A James Bond spoof that doesn't really work

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 2 December 2017]

This is a parody is based on a British comic strip, and the film came off as another one of the James Bond spoofs that littered the screen in the 1960's (The Matt Helm series, the Dr. Goldfoot series, etc).

The movie is about superspy Modesty Blaise (Vitti), who can change her appearance just by snapping her fingers. She is hired by the British government to protect a shipment of diamonds, which international thief Gabriel (Bogarde) is after. Blaise only accepts the job if Willie Garvin (Stamp) is allowed to work with her. Film goes on its way from there.

Script is infuriating because it misses opportunity after opportunity for satire. It assumes that just because Blaise is a woman superspy, that alone is hilarious. Vitti does her best, and sounds like a smoky voiced Garbo, but the script leaves her high and dry. She gets most of her laughs from intonation, sight gags, and the glint in her eyes. Stamp is on the sidelines, although his appearance changes at will also. Bogarde as Gabriel is the funniest person in the film, whether he's refusing an egg because it's overcooked or reminding a potential killer that it's rude to point.

This one does have Bogarde, and Blaises' changes are spectacular, and so are the sets. There are setpieces that are homages to famous directors, which I found amusing. However, it just goes on too long for what little it is trying to do, there are too many dry spells without laughs, and Bogarde and company are off-screen for too long. Still worth a watch--maybe.

View it on it's own, not as a spoof or adaptation, and you might enjoy!

[Muffy-5 · 20 September 2002]

I've never read the Modesty Blaise comics. What inspired me to rent this DVD was a love of 60's kitsch fashions, and an immense respect for Monica Vitti. And while I was baffled by the events in the film -- it didn't seem to make a DAMN bit of sense the first time around -- I still found myself loving it. And on repeated viewings I love it even more.

What's to love? Primarily, the quirkiness of EVERYTHING in the film: the direction is off-kilter (so many things happen in parts of the screen that you're not looking at, and the pacing is bizarre to say the least: a constant string of anticlimaxes that I found refreshing), the acting is deadpan and weird (Bogarde's shifty, psychopathic, and slightly flaky villain...Stamp's disgruntled but cheerful anti-hero...Rosella Falk's twitchy, wide-eyed, barely-restrained violence -- she is a stand-out highlight in the movie...and Monica Vitti, expressing herself mostly through strangely-timed gestures and facial expressions...just check out her "How do you get this off?" routine), the sets are gorgeously dressed (Gabriel's atmospheric island, and the fantastic cell with the spiral staircase), and the plotting is all over the place. Who's double-crossing who? Why are they doing that? WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? On first impression, I felt the film was just "winging it," making it up as it went along. But far from it...it's elaborately plotted, just strangely presented.

Really, I love this film, and I'm so glad it's seen re-release. It's sloppy, crazy, irreverent, and fun. If you view it as a weird little film -- not as a spoof, or an adaptation of the comic, or a reflection of the times, or as an attempt to be hip or strange -- I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

And yes, the clothes ARE fantastic.

Stunningly dull yet glossy.

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 15 November 2015]

Monica Vitti stars as the title character--an international girl of adventure. The UK hires her to help them with some problem--though no one is exactly sure who or what is the threat. Periodically, the camera cuts to Dirk Bogarde with a goofy white superman wig. You assume he's the baddie....but none of this seems to make much sense. As I sit here and watch "Modesty Blaise", I find my attention waning-- mostly because this seems like a film made without a script. I keep watching and hoping that it will all make sense but sadly it does not. Instead of a comprehensible plot, you're left with nice costumes, lots of color and not much else. An incomprehensible mess of a film I wanted to like. After all, a female James Bond-like character is an idea with a lot of promise. Unfortunately, it just doesn't deliver and looks more like a film made completely by fashion designers, not filmmakers.

Modesty should sue the studio

[23skidoo-4 · 1/10 · 21 August 2002]

(This review may have minor spoilers, as if that matters)

I feel I must come to the defence of one of my favorite literary heroines. Modesty Blaise, as originally conceived by Peter O'Donnell for a long-running comic strip and series of novels, was the feminine reply to James Bond, and in many ways a superior character. She had wit, charm, poise, and a unique relationship with her partner, Willie Garvin.

Unfortunately, this movie adaptation preserves almost none of the charm that made the Modesty Blaise stories so entertaining. And now that this travesty has been released on DVD, I fear O'Donnell will lose scores of fans unnecessarily.

That's not to say that Modesty Blaise: the movie doesn't have its moments. Indeed, there are some signs of the original characters, even though O'Donnell has said only a single line of his original script remained in the finished product. Terence Stamp is almost perfect as knife-throwing Willie Garvin (brunette hair notwithstanding) and, when she has her dark wig on, Monica Vitti is a dead ringer for her comic strip counterpart. At least so long as she keeps her mouth shut.

Unfortunately, Vitti just isn't able to pull this off. Her accent is all wrong for the part -- she should have followed in the footsteps of most Bond girls before her and been dubbed, and she just isn't that convincing in the action sequences. And without this glue, the whole movie falls apart.

The script reads like an Avengers reject, with only a sparking of the wit and originality of O'Donnell's work. A number of major errors are made with the characters -- Willie is shown shooting guns, which he never touched in the books, and even worse, Willie and Modesty fall in love! The one aspect of the books and comic strip that sets Modesty Blaise apart from all other fictional heroes is the relationship between Modesty and Willie that goes far beyond romantic entanglements. The only thing I can compare it to is the relationship between Mulder and Scully on The X-Files -- and watch how fast that show died when those characters became lovers.

And don't ask me where that giant scorpion tattoo on Modesty's leg came from!

But the one element that made me just want to be sick is the song. No, not the theme, which isn't bad. I mean the love song Willie and Modesty start crooning FOR NO REASON twice in the film -- once during a driving scene, and again during the final battle. The less said about this the better.

Modesty Blaise came out in 1966, near the start of the "Bond spoof" cycle that included OK Connery (1967) and Casino Royale (1967). Both those films are infinitely preferable to this. I can only hope we don't have to wait long before a serious Modesty Blaise film is made -- if done right, it will blow 007 off the screen.

A thriller which does not thrill and a comedy which fails to amuse

[JamesHitchcock · 3/10 · 18 December 2017]

Following the success of the Bond franchise, spy films were highly popular in the sixties, and Peter O'Donnell's popular comic strip "Modesty Blaise", which featured the adventures of a glamorous female secret agent, must have seemed like a natural subject for cinematic treatment. This film was the result. The basic plot is a simple one; Modesty is recruited by British Intelligence to foil a plan by gang of jewel thieves to intercept a shipment of diamonds to a Middle Eastern sheikh.

The heroine is played by the Italian actress Monica Vitti in her first English-speaking role- something I have always regarded as an uninspired piece of casting because Vitti's spoken English was not particularly fluent, although she certainly had the looks for the part. O'Donnell's Modesty was always a brunette, but Vitti mostly plays her as a blonde, although her looks, costume hairstyle and hair colour seem to change at random. Male viewers might be disappointed to note that Vitti only spends a short time dressed in the skin-tight leather catsuit which is the hallmark of the Modesty Blaise of the strip cartoon.

Some spy films of the era, such as "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold", took a serious look at intelligence work, but the majority aimed to emulate the relatively light-hearted tone of the Bonds. Indeed, many aimed to go even further in this direction and treated their subject-matter in a comedic way. "Modesty Blaise" falls firmly into this category. Although the plot involves what in real life would be serious crimes, notably robbery and murder, the scriptwriter Evan Jones and the director Joseph Losey refuse to treat the story with any seriousness, instead aiming for something light, camp and at times verging on the surreal. Jones's script was, officially, based upon a story by O'Donnell, but he departed from it so radically that O'Donnell virtually disowned the movie.

I felt that making the film in this way was a mistake. The Bond films, at their best, have always relied upon striking the right balance between tension and humour. This balance has occasionally been upset; some of the Roger Moore Bonds were too jokey and light-hearted, and the Timothy Dalton ones from the eighties tended to be too heavy-handed, but in the Sean Connery era of the sixties the film-makers generally got it right. The makers of "Modesty Blaise" get it very wrong indeed. There is no tension, and we never care about what happens to any of the characters. Moreover, "comedic" does not always equate to "humorous"; the script is supposed to be light-hearted but never produces any actual laughs.

The result is a film which is supposed to be a comedy-thriller, but which might more accurately be regarded as a thriller which does not thrill and a comedy which fails to amuse. There are some well-known stars involved, such as Terence Stamp and Dirk Bogarde, but their talents just seem wasted. It is no surprise that "Modesty Blaise", unlike some of the Bond copycat franchises, such as the "Man from UNCLE" series, did not give rise to a single sequel. 3/10

Another fumetti adaptation!!

[elo-equipamentos · 6/10 · 3 November 2017]

Aceptable fumetti adaptation to big screen with the great casting to support this comic robbery plot, Monica Vitti is quite convincing as Modesty Blaise sexy and beauty, Terence Stamp is just pretty face and didn't add too much, however Dirk Bogarde plays yourself through the movie and doesn't need to strive, then a nice surprise comes with unexpected Clive Revill on a double characters, both amusing deserves a best reviews, the kitsch style and pop score is quite appropriate for movie's purpose, Monica could be more hot, she had what to delivery....

Resume:

First watch: 1996 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6.5

The 38 Year Old Rossella Falk

[richardchatten · 2/10 · 13 April 2020]

There's been an increasing clamour in recent years for making James Bond a woman; which makes Joseph Losey's dereliction of duty in failing to do it properly when he had the chance more than half a century ago even more culpable.

A monstrous travesty of the original that confirms that Losey sorely needed Harold Pinter to supply him with a sense of humour. The stills of Monica Vitti briefly attired as the authentic Modesty serve simply as further evidence of what a wasted opportunity this folly was.

As with many other spy movies it's saving grace is the villains; and when Rossella Falk (who replaced Annette Carell) is onscreen as "rampaging psychopath" Clara Fothergill one fleetingly forgets that the film has denied her an adversary worthy of her.

Great spoof, lame adaptation.

[Still_Fluxing · 7/10 · 12 March 2005]

I have been a fan of the Modesty Blaise comic for as long as I can remember, so when I stumbled across this movie adaptation a few years back, I just had to see it. I did, and I liked it a lot. Not as an adaptation, because it's nothing as it's comic and novel counterparts, but as an hilarious spoof of the whole sixties spy movie phenomena.

Terrence Stamp as Willie Garvin is funny and cute, but he wouldn't stand a chance against the original. The same goes for Monica Vitti's Modesty who lacks the strenght of the real Modesty, but makes up for it in quirkiness.

This movie is perfect for everyone who like the concept of a Bond-parody, but was disappointed with the crudeness of Austin Powers. It will also appeal to Modesty Blaise fans with a sense of humor, and of course to lovers of pop art.

Lacking

[BandSAboutMovies · 3/10 · 25 April 2020]

Joseph Losey was blacklisted, which is no surprise, as he directed The Boy with the Green Hair. He took his career to Europe, where he made movies like Boom! and Don Giovanni.

This film is based on the popular comic strip Modesty Blaise by Peter O'Donnell, who co-wrote the original story. There was a major battle between Losey and O'Donnell on this film, with the director wanting to create a pop art Eurospy spoof while the comic is serious. The avant garde-inspired editing and production design, musical numbers and deliberate continuity errors drove O'Donnell insane. He hated that Willie and Modesty had any romance at all.

Losey also had problems with leading lady Monica Vitti, as she would be joined on the set by director Michelangelo Antonioni, who would whisper suggestions to her, and she would take direction from him rather than the actual director of the film.

Ever notice how many spy movies start with another spy getting killed to set the events in motion? This is no different, with British Secret Service chief Sir Gerald Tarrant recruiting former criminal mastermind Modesty Blaise to protect a shipment of diamonds after their agent is offed.

Terence Stamp is in this as Willie Garvin, Modesty's loyal sidekick and Dirk Bogarde is Gabriel, the criminal mastermind who is, for some reason, sensitive to violence.

Originally, Barbara Steele was going to play Modesty with Michael Caine as Willie. In a starnge twist, Caine would ultimately star in Alfie, a role intended for his friend and former roommate Stamp.

I bought this for $3 at a Dollar General this year after wanting a copy for a long time. Inside it, there was a coupon for buying three Eurospy films - Fathom or the two Flint movies - and getting one free. I was really excited until I realized that the offer ended 17 years ago. That's what you get for still buying DVDs.

The MODdEST Movie I've Ever Seen!

[mmthos · 8/10 · 15 October 2020]

Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) is the world's biggest and most beautiful secret agent in this crazy colorful spoof of all spoof s of the spy genre. Presented as basically a female imitation James Bond, she brings with her all the trappings--ludicrous international espionage plot, ridiculous gadget tools and weapons--then pumps the comic volume up to the MAX! Talk about madcap, this is what they meant when they invented the word Fast-paced, sometimes impressively clever, sometimes classically corny, bouncing back and forth between the limits of the sophisticated and the crass, taking equal delight in both.

Modesty's cohorts and also her competitors orbit like planets round her golden Sun, appearing and disappearing to return again and again, depending upon the ellipses of their particular orbits: the fay Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde), whose upper crusty exterior conceals the slimiest of underbellies, Rosella Falk as his ultra-sadistic mother (but in a fun way), Modesty's randy comrade-cum-lover Terence Stamp, Clive Revill as her adoptive father, an Arab Sheikh whose oil the Brits are after, and a host of other demi-luminaries in this game they call Spy

As for cinematography, it's a mod mod MOD world, constantly infused with the designs and colours of mid-60's pop art, and grabbed a BAFTA nomination for it. Uncredited Costumer Beatrice Dawson's amazing and amusing creations are the grooviest, straight off Carnaby Street in Swingin' London. John Dankworth's fun, quirky score is the perfect accompaniment. Director Joseph Losey was nominated for a Palme d;Or. Though her accent is a bit pronounced, Miss Vitti's skills as a consummate seductress and comedienne are on full view throughout, and really carry the picture.

And she SINGS. Clearly NOT a singer, her love duet with Stamp (not a singer either!), intrepidly sung while the bombs burst all around them, surrounded by an onslaught of Arab hordes on horseback, they're the sherry-soaked sponge fingers on this MEGA-trifle of an English dainty

Get ready for a Super Way-Out Far Out Plastic Fantastic Mind-Bending TRIP! .

Pop-Art Whiz-Bang Falls Flat

[kurtralske · 6/10 · 23 April 2021]

There were some prodigiously talented people involved in this film: director Joseph Losey (responsible for the brilliant Mr. Klein, The Servant, etc), Monica Vitti (of Antonioni's best films), Dirk Bogarde (one of the best actors of the era), Terrence Stamp.

So why does the film fall so flat? Somehow the tone is consistently off. The highlights are Dirk Bogarde's campy Bond villain, Monica Vitti's effortless glamour, the outrageous pop-art set design and costumes. Yet, the comedic bits aren't very funny, the story progresses awkwardly, and nothing engages or pleases the viewer very much.

My admiration for Losey, Bogarde, and Vitti kept me going to the end. Without that angle, I think a viewer would have a tough time with this film.

Camp is hard to do properly. It needs to be excessive, audacious, driven by real feeling. In the end, "Modesty Blaise" is only modestly camp...which is to say, a failure at being camp.

Only for those who love Monica Vitti, Harry Andrews, Dirk Bogarde and Terence Stamp

[RodrigAndrisan · 3/10 · 15 June 2016]

You saw people shot with an umbrella? No? You will see here. Going to see also a guy strangled in between the legs of a lady-killer, Mrs. Fothergill(Rosella Falk) (29 years before Famke Janssen is trying to do the same thing to Mr. Bond Pierce Brosnan in "GoldenEye"), you'll see also another guy exploding with an entire house in Amsterdam only by pressing the button of the ring bell... OK, well, we have here a few absolutely exceptional actors, Monica Vitti, Terence Stamp, Dirk Bogarde, Harry Andrews, plus a great director Joseph Losey, but the film is nothing but a pretentious crap, really now, it's excitingly boring... it will feel like you'll need to watch another film, or films, specifically: "Noi donne siamo fatte così"(1971), with Monica Vitti," The Collector "(1965), with Terence Stamp, "Our Mother's House" (1967), with Dirk Bogarde, "The Ruling Class" (1972), with Harry Andrews. These are real films, this one is just a waiste of time. 3 out of 10 only for the beauty of Monica Vitti.

Mod mod mod mod mod mod mod Modesty!

[Gothick · 4 June 1999]

A delicious phantasmagoria of feathers, frolics, fashion, false eyelashes, frivolity, fol-de-rol, foppish frothiness and all that was mod and mad in that giddy year, nineteen-sixty-six. Monica Vitti is nothing like the comic book character created by Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway--the original stories have been reprinted and are worth checking out. In his memoirs Terence Stamp recalled that Vitti was so clumsy it was hard for her to get through even simple stunts. The film is in reality a paean to style and to the triumph of presentation over substance which was a lot of what Sixties fashions were about. Vitti's wigs pretty much steal the show--Dirk Bogarde, in blond toupee as evil mastermind Gabriel, and Rosella Falk as Mrs Fothergill (a sort of sadistic Emma Peel) clean up on what's left. The music is a lot of fun--indeed fun is the operative word here. Serious squares can keep their dull movie critic vibes out!

Camp and feeble

[Prismark10 · 2/10 · 15 July 2019]

The British Secret Service recruits Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) a criminal to protect a shipment of diamonds heading to an arab sheik. Master criminal Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde), the head of a criminal organization is after the diamonds.

Modesty Blaise is certainly a departure for director Joseph Losey better known for more high brow dramas as well actor Dirk Bogarde who really camps it up here.

It is one of a slew of psychedelic James Bond satires that popped up in the swinging mid 1960s including Casino Royale which it shares some similarities with. A poor script that seems to be made up as it goes along even though Modesty Blaise is a comic strip character.

The film is bizarre, weird and boring. Vitti has no screen presence at all. Terence Stamp seems to be doing a bad Michael Caine impression, he even starts to sing at one point.

Excruciatingly unfunny

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 24 January 2019]

MODESTY BLAISE is another of those excruciatingly unfunny spy spoofs of the 1960s, similar in tone to CASINO ROYALE from the same decade. I have no idea why these were made, given that all of the spy movies I've watched from the era - Bond movies included - feature plenty of tongue-in-cheek as well as open comedy throughout. Anyway, this one's based on the popular comic strip character and involves our ditzy femme fatale heroine going after a crime boss, played by a white-haired Dirk Bogarde. There's plenty of goofy humour, which never really works, as well as familiar actors slumming it and sunny locations. A pity, then, that the script is so poor, and that they picked an actress for her looks rather than acting ability.

Geez.

[kevino-4 · 3/10 · 10 September 2003]

While watching Modesty Blaise I realized I had read the book. It was one of the detective paperbacks with racy covers I accessed by sneaking into my parent's bedroom closet 40 or so years ago. So far as the film goes I think the greatest likelihood is the crew was buzzed during most of the filming. That would account for the chaos of plot, script and action wasting Vitti and Stamp's considerable talents. They had to know in editing what a mess was on their hands. I don't remember the release so it probably died a quick and well deserved death.

Better than I remember it being, but still not recommended

[RennieP · 6/10 · 23 January 2006]

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 point, 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 eight or ten points. But I'm not, so I'll leave it at six points. 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 six points out of ten) 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

Modesty Forbid

[Lejink · 2/10 · 28 December 2018]

Blame it on James! The success of the Bond franchise had the studios casting about for their own super spy piece of the action and some really bad films were made as a result, like Dean Martin's Matt Helm, James Coburn's Flint and this U. K. made big budget feature directed by the heretofore highbrow Joseph Losey and starring his usual prestigious leading man, Dirk Bogarde. Obviously these film makers felt they couldn't beat 007 for thrills, gadgets, tough masculinity and laconic humour so instead they went, in their own slightly different ways for high camp, cheap laughs, gaudy pop-art sets and unhumorous knowing in-jokes.

I really wanted to like this movie but it gave me nothing to like. As a Brit, I can vaguely remember the Modesty Blaine newspaper comic strip but this day-glo disaster seemed to bear no resemblance to it at all. Here the heroine, played coquettishly by Monica Vitti sports different hairdos and clothing almost every day, seems to fall quite easily into the villains' clutches and relies far too much on her looks to fool her male protagonists. Her faithful sidekick Willie Garvin is played by the rising Terence Stamp who has obviously been told to bring his broadest Cockney accent and not much else to the set. To think he turned down the starring role in "Alfie" for this.

It starts off well actually with the explosive death of an obvious Bond-type agent, leaving the field clear for Blaine to save the day but from there, the excitement peters out, there are no memorable set-piece action sequences, the humour is dreadfully forced and unamusing and there's no sexual allure from any of the leads. It runs on for two hours over a silly plot to steal back diamonds with not even a world-threatening megalomaniac to stir things up. Bogarde for some reason sports an albino wig in an over-the-top effete performance surrounded by hunky young men in crisp white shorts or sporting hunky naked torsos.

Here are just three lowlight embarrassing scenes each of which will curl your toes so much you'll never wear shoes again, one where a female baddie kills off a mime artist who begs for mercy in dumb-show fashion, another where Bogarde for some reason literally flips his wig and lastly when Vitti and Stamp start singing an impromptu duet, trust me, Sonny and Cher they're not.

With a bloated, all over the place finish involving lots of Arabs, boats and horses, it really is an unholy mess of a movie and I can think of only two minor redeeming features, the catchy pop title song, although it's flogged to death from first to last and some of the Bridget Riley-type pop-art interiors.

A film with a lot to be modest about.

The burlesque dramatization of Modesty

[bygard · 6/10 · 7 May 2007]

Surprisingly light work coming from a director like Joseph Losey. I guess he just wanted to make fun of the numerous agent movies of the sixties and maybe insert a little comment on the values of storytelling in them. If he does, he luckily makes it in a most entertaining way and with technical ability, that certain slackening is easy to forget. Everything is made up into ultra-light eye candy and silly fun to be enjoyed in the right frame of mind. There is not even much of a plot to be mentioned about. Stolen diamonds, secret agents, dangerous missions and nice locations all in a fine mess, like the films this kind usually have. For fans of the original Modesty Blaise comic strip this naturally is a pity, because almost nothing of its real characteristics appear here. The characters are drawn very far from how they appear as originals and everything else is just about all changed too. The Modesty Blaise most of us readers know would deserve a more appropriate movie treatment. And I'm still waiting for it.

So, to enjoy this version more one should maybe forget the original Modesty Blaise completely. This is a child's play, a very cruel child's, and a play for adult children. A movie like a box of crayons, really. Scenes seem to change for the sake of sets, clothes and props. And for hair color, as it is with Modesty and Willie Garvin, his male sidekick. Monika Vitti and Terence Stamp look right for their roles, but doesn't seem to have much to act and both handle the job perfectly. Dirk Bogarde, familiar from a few other Losey's films a bit deeper than this, almost steals the show as Gabriel, the bored, neurotic, gay arch criminal. A movie best recommended for a rainless brainless day.

Modesty May Not Become Her

[Bogmeister · 4/10 · 26 August 2007]

MASTER PLAN: Diamond theft - supposedly. Modesty is the female James Bond, for all intents and purposes, especially as portrayed in her original incarnation, in the comic strip and novels by Peter O'Donnell, though her background is much more shady - a former master of thieves - and she now lives in wealthy retirement until called upon by British Intelligence for special jobs. Her right-hand man is Willie Garvin; their relationship is platonic, if quite friendly. The preoccupation with Bond and his films in the sixties spawned other imitators during this period, notably the 'Flint' and 'Matt Helm' films, so Modesty was a natural selection for adaptation. Unfortunately, this is a good example of a great concept & property which was poorly made. I've read that the original writer's screenplay was completely re-written and am not surprised at the results. The filmmakers here followed the pattern of the "Casino Royale" spoof of the following year('67), in that most of the plot is nonsensical, with style over substance prevailing. If you're into this carefree, blasé approach, with many scenes wrapped in silliness, then you're in luck if you get the DVD. My problem with such an approach is that every action in such a story becomes meaningless: there's no sense of threat, no tension, no real danger - just that vague aura of fun, which does not appeal to fans of spy adventure thrillers. Frivolous was mentioned elsewhere, a good one-word description. This approach is well suited to a musical and the two main characters even break into song in one scene around the mid-point and there's some singing at the conclusion. It all bodes ill in the introductory scene of Modesty (usually blonde, unlike the real Modesty) awakening in her futuristic domicile (similar to the later "Barbarella"); her computer console spits some papers at her and she laughs for no reason - as if she's over-medicated.

One good example of where the filmmakers stand occurs near the beginning, just after Modesty is recruited by the Brits for this latest mission. They project a film for her to impart some information and she sits with her back to the screen for most of it, looking rather bemused or smug. There's the message to us right there: this Modesty doesn't need the facts; she already knows them for some reason and will get through whatever peril is thrown her way without effort. Indeed, when we later see her and Garvin going through the motions - whether involved in a car chase or escaping a cell - they're literally giggling through the scenes, two buddies on a cheerful vacation. It's a more exaggerated version of the smirking that Roger Moore indulged in in his later, less-appreciated Bond films. But, even if one can abide such parody, a more serious fault is the deadly slow pace in the first two-thirds of the film. Many of the scenes focus on the laid back villain Gabriel (Bogarde) as he settles back at his Mediterranean island retreat with his psycho wife and annoying accountant (Revill). These are meant to be darkly amusing, with the accountant lecturing the villain on fiscal responsibility even in dastardly crime and the wife behaving like a, well, Amazonian psychotic. But, they just drag on too long. Besides the nice cinematography, capturing some choice European locations, there's not much to recommend in this one. I'm really not sure what director Losey and his partners in crime were aiming at, besides the obvious attraction to psychedelic wallpaper, although there is some suggestion of the decadence so prevalent in that decade (a sheik throws his knife at a pigeon; Modesty flings her ice cream from a moving car). In one shot, Modesty's hair magically changes (a jump-cut effect), so maybe the whole thing is a dream. The actress Vitti has a smoldering sexuality, but she only comes across like the real Modesty in one scene, dressed in the familiar black outfit. Stamp, as Garvin, plays second fiddle, Bogarde embraces the camp, and Craig & Andrews as Brit agents ham it up a bit. Revill hams it up a lot, as usual. They would not return. A TV Pilot popped up in the eighties and a low budget attempt in the nineties. Heroine:5 Villains:5 Male Fatales:5 Henchmen:4 Fights:3 Stunts/Chases:4 Gadgets:4 Auto:5 Locations:8 Pace:4 overall:4+

classic 60's fun

[thomas_matthew · 10/10 · 15 August 2003]

I disagree quite strongly with those users who have given this film such a low billing. It is more than a bit unusual, of course, sort of like The Avengers done in Michaelangelo Antonioni's style. The music, costumes, and overall style are lighthearted and fun in a campy way, sometimes even dreamy. If you liked this film, you would like Antonioni's "Blowup".

Lacks suspense

[enochsneed · 7/10 · 10 April 2014]

Obviously this was intended as an over-the-top spoof of extravagant 1960's crime and spy thrillers. As some reviewers have noted, if you watch it in isolation and forget the excellent source material it can be enjoyed on that level. Even so, a spoof does not have to be one long joke. There was room for some genuine suspense here, particularly at the climax, where Modesty and Willie escape from their cells and set out to foil arch-villain Gabriel. This would have given the film a sharp edge after all the camp hamming that went before.

One of the problems seems to have been that (according to Terence Stamp's autobiography) Monica Vitti was totally lacking in physical co-ordination and just could not handle action scenes. This makes what should be her climactic confrontation with Mrs Fothergill a really limp effort - shot from above to allow a stunt double to do the work with awkward close-up inserts of Vitti and no true physical contact at all.

Still, I always relish the sight of Dirk Bogarde pegged out in the desert calling out for "Champagne!" and squealing as the loyal McWhirter comes to the rescue: "I thought you were mother!" Good fun, but it could and should have been better

Expectations high, results poor

[moonspinner55 · 2/10 · 31 July 2002]

A spy satire from Joseph Losey? Losey's films are always rich in texture but are completely alienating. His askewed vision--usually defended by the intelligentsia set--leaves viewers out of the mix, and one is left to ponder what the hell he was trying to say. "Modesty Blaise" is, sadly, no different. Loosely-structured (to say the least), the plot has something to do with curvy thief-turned-secret agent protecting diamond shipment from a mama's boy villain. James Bond fanatics won't find much to bond with here: film's trick cuts and mod settings cannot detract from limply-staged, perplexing puzzle of a "comedy". In the lead, Monica Vitti is an intriguing presence but she has no music in her voice (in fact, she sounds dubbed). Director Losey was in way over his head here, and he drags everyone down with the ship. * from ****