Customer Reviews

Modesty Blaise (Widescreen)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

ENIGMATIC MONICA VITTI [dead-ringer for a svelte Bette Milder] leads us into this visually mind-numbing frolic of a spy-spoof! An Art-Director's dream - as ARE the continuous costume changes for Ms. Vitti! Quite sensational along the lines of "Casino Royale" - another must-have of this period.

Plot? None really - just a series of delicious and sometimes deadly encounters as Spy vs Spy vs Spy vs Spy ..... in dear old Amsterdam, and then later aboard ships [yachts] and that odd island with the spectacular Arabian finish - [Modesty it seems was adopted!] The petard [mino cannon a Gift to Modesty - pointing at Buckingham Palace - off-lens - is a hoot!]

DIRK BOGARDE has a field-day as Gabriel - the oh so chic and campy bad guy with an umbrella for all occasions - possibly to augment each outfit!

A breathtaking Terence Stamp [still has those 'baby blues'] is Modesty's trusty sick-kick - also with the mandatory hair color change[s].

Quite delightful to behold - but be warned - this one needs eye-shades occasionally - it is in VIVID color.

Great to have on DVD!

Modesty Blaise is the best spy spoot ever!! You folks who don't like it need to get a life. Relax, on your plush sofa. Roll a doobie and enjoy Ms Blaise. I dig her the most, baaby!!

There's a great moment here where Rosella Falk strangles a mime to death with her knees--and that's about it. Monica Vitti smiles charmingly and looks great in the various odd costumes she's asked to wear, and Dirk Bogarde and Terrence Stamp saunter through as if they haven't a care in the world and are not only going to forget this film after they're done, but might very well be forgetting it as they go along. Joseph Losey added to the list of film he really needed to apologize to the general public for . . .

This movie is so CHIC, I haven't got the exact words to describe it. The cast is sort of chi-chi: Monica Vitti, Terence Stamp, Harry Andrews, Dirk Boarde and Clive Revill, with Jospeh Losey directing, (Joseph Losey??) A hoi-polloi audience was almost assured! I saw this film in 1966 when it came out and was immediately struck by how different it was from the other Bond spoofs, such as "Our Man Flint" and those awful Matt Helm movies. "Modesty" is avant garde in that notoriously sanitized, late sixties style that made psychedelia palatable for the masses, with op art wallpaper everywhere and decadence celebrated by way of the villains portrayed by Bogarde and "Mrs. Fathergill".

The jazzy score is very reminiscent of the one for "The Tenth Victim", though the lyricked theme song used in the opening credits should do WITHOUT the words, since they're just a WEE bit too arch! The instrumental side, however, is done beautifully, and adds to the "chic" feel of the movie.

The fact that Monica Vitti has an accent so thick, you could choke on it, only adds to this flavor, as does Terence Stamp's prophetic "Alex the Droog" portrayal of her sidekick, Willie Garvin. The casual use of Ferraris, Rolls Royces, Citroens and multi-colored cigarettes make this a fashion-mongerer's wet dream.

It's been stated that this film had no plot....oh, it's got a plot, alright, but there's so much OTHER business going on while it's unraveling, you can miss it! Modesty and Willie's briefs are to make sure fifty million pounds of foreign aid, in the form of diamonds, are delivered to an arab sheikh without the inimitable Gabriel, (Bogarde,) getting his superciliously foppish hands on them. Revill plays his fawning sidekick, accountant and condifante, McWhorter.

Everybody involved seems to be having the time of their lives being in this flick, especially Stamp and Vitti.

Chic, funny, and unique, a DEFINITE change of pace for the classic Hollywood director who helmed it, (if he indeed ever existed)....this movie joins "Help!", "Lord Love A Duck" and a few other zany flicks as icons of sixties aesthetics and cinematic philosophy.

A museum piece of late sixties culture....

(Why ...does she have to be called "Modesty Blaise"?? How about "Modesty Ace" or "Modesty Aqua"?)

I am a huge Modesty Blaise fan. I own and have read all the books and most of the comics. This movie is a disaster. First of all Modesty is BLONDE!!No no no this is all wrong, Modesty is of a Middle Eastern background, how can she be BLONDE!! Next why on earth do Modesty and Willie Garvin KISS!! Arghhhh. Modesty and Willie don't have that kind of a relationship.
The important thing about the Modesty Blaise series is the characters and their interaction, this movie is just high camp and sets and costumes. Terrible terrible.If I could give this no stars I would.

I am a real fan of parody and was hoping this film would fit the mold. Nope. It was boring and a waste of time. The Flint movies were superb - Fathom was acceptable. This is the first DVD I bought that I gave away after watching it (and I have a large collection of 1950 Sci Fi bad movies!). Don't bother renting or buying this DVD. It is a waste of money to do so.

MODESTY BLAISE is an enjoyable, campy little gem that is quite fun. High in style and low in plot, the cast obviously had a ball working on this great film.

Based on the popular long-running comic strip character, the story concerns high-class jewel and art thief Modesty Blaise (played bewitchingly by Monica Vitti) who is called upon to investigate the actions of reclusive millionaire and criminal Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde) who lives on a foreboding island.

Modesty enlists the help of her associate and some-time lover Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) and soon Modesty is up to her neck in psychedelic espionage and sexy costumes! However, there is always Gabriel's assistant to contend with: the man-eating, sadistic Mrs Fothergill (Rosella Falk)...

The plot is as wafer-thin as Modesty's silken dresses; between the time that Modesty is recruited to the final showdown on Gabriel's island, there is about 90 minutes of plot that I cannot even fathom. Dirk Bogarde relishes his role as the decadent Gabriel, wearing a John Inman-esque fright wig and drinking out of impossibly-sized glasses. Another hilaious scene is where Mrs Fothergill is holding "diving lessons". During the climactic battle, Modesty and Willie have a time-out to sing a rather annoying love song, and somehow Arabs on stallions are mysteriously transported to the island to assist Modesty in her showdown with Gabriel!!...Totally unbelievable and only possible in the 60's.

Nontheless, MODESTY BLAISE is a charming piece of fluffy eye-candy and should be savored as the harmless schlock that it was meant to be.

Highly recommended. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).

This film is HORRID!!! why?? because it NEVER seems to pick up! It is neither Stylish, or Campy, just plain Boring with a touch of "b-movie" thrown in to Be a B movie ,which doesn't work by the way! This film Could have been a GREAT film! It seems that the writer and the director of this film must have thought starting a new trend would work , sorry ,"boring" isn't a trend fellas!
I picked it up thinking it would spoof the avengers, bond,or in like flint, nope, El Wrongo there!!! I was duped, so in turn, Don't be! this one isn't even worth a rent.

I consider myself very lucky to have become acquainted with Modesty Blaise. Thank you, Peter O'Donnell, for Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin (my thanks are late but heartfelt, nonetheless). My life is much the richer for your work.

This film, however, is a travesty. Modesty Blaise could have been, should have been, bigger and better than James Bond.

Originally, I felt that the folks that made this film should be [fired]. However, I have entertained a more appropriate condemnation:

They should be required to view their abomination repetitively ad infinatum.

The only good news here is that Quentin Tarantino is expected to produce a remake of this film. The original was made before the industry standardizad the spoof of spy movies. One can only hope that Tarantino's vision will include the elements missing from the original that we now come to expect in Hollywood films.