Modesty Blaise.
Modesty Blaise is a spicy mod fem spy spoof character that I recommend. The 1966 film is based on a comic strip character that English author Peter O'Donnell first penned in 1963. He published the Modesty Blaise action adventure novel in 1965. He retired from the series in 2001.
The movie stars Monica Vitti who is perfect as Modesty. Modesty is smart, agile, sexy and creative. (Often described as a female James Bond.) She effortlessly has men available to her for work and play. She changes her outfits instantaneously to adjust to situations, oh and what fab outfits! (I especially want her accessories and think I might have to make them.) She draws on her network of connections around the world whenever she needs assistance, and most of all, she has a fearlessly fab good time. She's like a lot of the women I know.
The movie is definitely on the light side (what movies like Austin Powers draws inspiration from) but has very dark humor in moments, and it runs long (two hours), but it's worth reviving for it's psychedelic sets, Vitti's self-possessed performance and the concept's whole dominant fem edge.
Also, visit the official Modesty Blaise, Ltd. website.
3 comments:
Just added to my Netflix queue. Love the cover art!
The film is a travesty compared to the books and comics -- the literary character is much smarter, more savvy, and more deadly than in the film! Most true Modesty fans loathe the 1966 film. There was a 1996 straight-to-DVD Tarantino-produced film that's a little more true to the books (My Name is Modesty) but it still doesn't do the character justice. I definitely recommend you check out the books (available on Amazon). The general favorites are Sabre-Tooth and A Taste for Death.
Lots of Modesty info here:
www.modestyblaisebooks.com
Thanks Anon,
No doubt the books are better, as the saying always seems to go. And it is in my plan to give them a read. I bet Chris will check them out, too. At the least their covers are great. Ha! Just kidding. I heard about the Tarantino movie and plan to see it. I appreciate his interest in tough women heros and no doubt he is a great filmmaker, but suspect he lacks enough style to pull Modesty off very well. As usual, I hope to be pleasantly surprised. I'll get back to you on that.
Ciao!
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