Modesty Blaise, súper agente, súper espía

Have seen a fair share of Joseph Losey's other works and have found a lot to admire about almost all of them, especially 'Don Giovanni' (one of my favourite opera films) and his collaborations with Harold Pinter ('The Servant', 'Accident' and 'The Go Between' all being very good if understandably divisive films). Have also liked a lot of Dirk Bogarde's work and that of Terrence Stamp's. The idea was interesting and the cartoon strip that 'Modesty Blaise' is based on is great fun.

This reviewer really does wish that the same could be said for 'Modesty Blaise' as a film, but sadly that was not to be. It has its moments and good things, but it is a very misguided misfire and a lesser effort for Losey. It was critically lambasted at the time and is still considered a misfire by many, and in my mind it is very easy to see why. 'Modesty Blaise' is not an awful film and there is far worse out there, but considering the talent involved it should have been so much better.

Starting with the good things, it looks great. Very flamboyant and extravagant which is in perfect keeping with the tone intended. The sets and Monica Vitti's wardrobe are jaw dropping. Some of the music is infectious and fun to listen to.

Bogarde has an absolute blast as the wonderfully campy villain Gabriel, the only actor who seems to know and understand what film he is in and the only one who tries.

Vitti however is miscast, with her performance lacking allure and charm as well as intensity. Stamp sleepwalks his way through a role that added little. The rest of the acting sees a lot of slumming or over-compensating, Harry Andrews is reasonably fun but Clive Revill is too hammy even for a film that is very over the top. All the characters are ciphers and nothing more. Losey had a lot of talent as a director but was completely out of his depth here, it was clear he had no idea how to direct the film.

Which has a story that makes absolutely no sense, and that is when there is any discernible plotting, and for a film intended to be over the top there is a mess of overblown excess and humour intended to be camp but is instead pretty subdued and goes overboard on the dumbness. With a more satirical edge the film would have been a lot more successful. The dialogue is toe curlingly bad too often and has too much of an afterthought quality and while the music is good generally that duet is painful and out of place.

All in all, misguided effort. 4/10.

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.

Sadly, Joseph Losey misses the mark with this comic-book tease featuring the luscious Italian beauty, Monica Vitti. Both director and star are more adept at delivering brooding, ambivalent sexuality instead of the in-your-face flirting necessary to make this spy spoof a success. This material wasn't for Losey, but it's not a total loss. The cast is worth watching, particularly Bogarde hamming it up in gay style, and John Dankworth's music score is a retro delight! MODESTY makes a fine 2nd bill with BARBARELLA.

Mediocre adaptation based on character of Modesty Blaise who was created in 1963 by Peter O'Donnell , realized in 60 pop-arty style and far from original image . A two-fisted babe spy (embodied by attractive Monica Vitti in his first English language role) , the world's most lethal female secret agent , and her colleague , the dark-haired , brawn Willie Garvin (the British Terence Stamp) confront a dangerous international delinquent usually wielding his endless collection of parasols and perfumed wig named Gabriel (Dick Bogarde) and aided by his right-hand (Clive Revill as twitching Scots helper) . The tough secret agent is watching out for a diamond shipment , which is the target of her arch-rival enemy .

Colorful but failed rendition , not taking any situation seriously ; being based on famous strip-cartoon thriller by Peter O'Donnell who retired himself and Modesty Blaise in 2001 . However , Peter O'Donnell complained that of his original screenplay, only one line remains . This very campy picture contains thrills , action , phantasmagoria , tongue-in-cheek , absurd situations , but being badly developed . The main and support cast -with everyone having fun- is frankly good , but is really wasted . Monica Vitti as tough British spy, the world's deadliest and most dazzlingly female agent, is miscast and is hardly ideal actress in the title character . Joseph Losey found it difficult to work with Monica Vitti, as she would invariably be accompanied onto the set by director Michelangelo Antonioni, in whose films she had become famous ; Antonioni would often whisper suggestions to her, and she would take direction from him rather than Losey. The best of the interpretations results to be Dick Bogarde as a cunning villain , including some enjoyable moments as when he is staked out in the desert and he croaks : I'm thirsty , Champagne . Furthermore , a sympathetic Clive Revill and Rosselle Falk as as a villainess who cruelly murders his victims . And special appearance of notorious British secondaries such as Harry Andrews , Alexander Knox and James Craig . This movie was one of four 20th Century Fox pictures featuring female spies that were released during 1966-1967 , the movies were Fathom (1967), Caprice (1967) and Come Spy with Me (1967)

There is another version about this character titled ¨My Name Is Modesty: A Modesty Blaise Adventure¨ , 2004 , by Scott Spiegel with Alexandra Staden as Modesty Blaise , Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau and Raymond Cruz ; it was produced as a prequel to the popular spy comic strip, plans call for this film to be followed by more Blaise movies taking place during the timeframe of the comic strip . In addition , a TV version : Modesty Blaise (1982) by Reza Badiyi with Ann Turkel as Modesty Blaise and Lewis Van Bergen as Willie Garvin .

Atmospheric original music by John Dankworth including a catching leitmotif . Gliimmer as well as glamorous cinematography by Jack Hildyard . The motion picture was middling directed by Joseph Losey . Director Losey was originally compelled to release movies under pseudonym Victor Hansbury because he had blacklisted by Hollywood where he shot The boy with the green hair , Prowler, Sleeping tiger, among others , during the 50s red scare . Losey exiled England where directed good films as The servant , King and Country , Accident , Romantic Englishwoman and other European countries as France where filmed Mr Klein at his best .

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.