My Name Is Modesty

My Name Is Modesty

DVD cover
Directed by Scott Spiegel
Produced by Quentin Tarantino (executive)
Marcelo Anciano
Michael Berrow
Ted Nicolaou
Written by Lee Batchler
Janet Scott-Batchler
Starring Alexandra Staden
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Raymond Cruz
Eugenia Yuan
Music by Deborah Lurie
Cinematography Vivi Dragan Vasile
Editing by Michelle Harrison
Studio Miramax Films
Release date(s) 2003 (2003)
Running time 78 minutes
Country United States
Language English

My Name Is Modesty is a 2003 American action film that was released direct-to-DVD. The film is based on the early years of the character Modesty Blaise, a former crime boss turned secret agent.

This is the third production that brings Peter O'Donnell's character Modesty Blaise to the screen, following the feature film Modesty Blaise with Monica Vitti in 1966 and the TV pilot Modesty Blaise with Ann Turkel in 1982.

Contents

Premise

The film stars British actress Alexandra Staden as Modesty and chronicles a crucial event in the character's life some time prior to the start of the comic strip.

Cast

Production

After director Scott Spiegel filmed From Dusk till Dawn 2 in 1999, producer Harvey Weinstein asked Spiegel to direct My Name Is Modesty. Quentin Tarantino joined the filming as an executive producer.[1] Filming took place in Bucharest, Romania and lasted 18 days. The film was produced pro forma for Miramax Films to maintain rights to the source material, the Modesty Blaise comic strip.[2]

Release

My Name Is Modesty was released straight to DVD. Juan Morales of The New York Times called the film one of the "vivid examples of Mr. Spiegel’s sly, visual directing style".[1] Joe Leydon of Variety opined that the film "isn't half-bad" and is a "mildly diverting time-killer".[3] He went on to note, "Scripters Lee and Janet Scott Batchler concoct a scenario that often plays like the pilot for a syndicated teleseries. Budgetary and scheduling restraints require vet vidpic director Scott Spiegel... to keep most of the action within the casino set. Still, Spiegel sustains a reasonable level of tension while Modesty stalls for time. Climactic smackdown is suitably brisk, if predictable. Handsome lensing by Vivi Dragan Vasile is a plus."[3]

References

External links