The Fortunes & Misfortunes of Moll Flanders

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Oh my!
I will admit, I saw this movie before I read the book. But what a good movie it was! It's not so much a movie as it is a miniseries as it took a while to watch, but it is worth it, since miniseries are often able to put in more of the book than a movie whose time must be restricted. The acting, props, costumes, and background were all solid, and I have no complaint. It was especially fun to see Moll stare right into the camera. For me, that added some spice and fun to watch, especially when she looked at you while she was doing something naughty. Overall, I feel that this movie was a rather decent retelling of the book.

Spicy Romp
Entertaining and fun with the spice of life. Moll Flanders adventures are captured with wonderful camera work, excellent casting and non-stop adventure. A great addition to "Tipping The Velvet" and "Finger Smith".

Good story, dated production
My main complaint with this film is the annoying music that really dates the production as well as the production quality itself. For a movie that is only ten years old it looks like it was filmed in 1975. It is too bad because it really is entertaining. It is fun to watch a period film that is in no way stuffy, centered around a woman with modern sensibilities. This was a time when a woman who was on her own had very few avenues to explore, and the majority of those were not respectable. Moll has a fiery personality and does not settle for the safe roads. She's cut-throat and ruthless, but you will like her anyway, because she does it all with the utmost charm and a twinkle in her eye. She could have invented the field of public relations. There is a lot of nudity and sex in this but it doesn't seem risque since it is all done with a certain comical edge. In fact most of the film is done lightheartedly even though you are dealing with some touchy subjects. One last downfall -- It makes me sound extremely shallow, but I just don't see Alex Kingston as the beauty that Moll is supposed to be. Using her supposed stunning beauty to work her way through life, and manipulate nearly every man she meets is simply difficult to believe when you don't find the actress to be so beautiful. Other than that the story is very entertaining with all it's twists and turns. If you like it, you should also watch "Vanity Fair" with Natasha Little. It is another period film with a naughty anti-heroin, who you will love to hate. P.S. This Moll Flanders is ten times more fun than the Robin Wright/ Morgan Freeman version which really has very little in common with this production aside from centering around a like minded heroin in the same time period.

WONDERFUL PIECE OF HISTORY
The film is a wonderous look at years before how things were and the poor unfortunate Moll is having a very difficult time. A pleasure to watch and so well put together, even with the current Mr James Bond featured!!!

WOW!
I'll go into this review assuming you know the story of Moll Flanders, all right? That saves me time for my soap boxing climbing which is coming up in a moment. Moll Flanders is among my favorite books of all. (If you don't believe me, check out my review of it.) Purists might object that this 1996 film version strays a bit from the original, but as is the case in some other rare instances (the 1991 motion picture version of The Last of the Mohicans, for instance) it actually enhances the tale in so doing therefore the sacrifice of authenticity is more or less worth it. What is shocking about this production, which aired on PBS's Masterpiece Theater back in the `90's, is the extent to which the filmmakers chose to focus less on Moll as a survivor against all odds and more on those erotic elements left understated by Defoe. Here by my estimate perhaps one in four scenes in the movie contain both nudity and sex: sometimes downright raunchy, rutting-like-beasts-in-heat sort of sex, too. It blows my mind how back in those happier days of the 1990's, before that dictatorial anachronism that is the FCC was quite so draconian about flexing its Puritanical muscle, this version of Moll Flanders actually aired in prime time. As I said up there in my title: WOW! Don't see the Robin Wright Penn adaptation that misguidedly sets this story in the 1700's instead of the 1600's, see this one. Or better yet, read the book. It's truly great literature.