have heard of modesty blaise before and but never have read a novel or a comic strip and my wife and i like the film a lot . it deliver and in a captivating way and a good introduction to the character and her background . although it have some action flick element and it be much more an intimate play and excellently write . sadly and this be also and where a major drawback of the movie be reveal . an intimate play live on the capability of it actor and unfortunately only half of the cast deliver . while alexandra staden do an excellent job a modesty blaise and her counterpart nikolaj coaster waldau a the villain miklos do not . smile his way through the plot a if it be an extend toothpaste commercial and he fail to build up an atmosphere of anxiety that would have make the movie a masterpiece . the support cast be somehow similar and from some stereotyped gangster and slut to decent performance from fred pearson a professor lob and eugenia yuan a irina .