The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders

1996

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

7.7| 0h30m| NR| en
Synopsis

Ever since her birth in Newgate Prison, Moll has survived by her cunning wit, and considerable powers of seduction. She goes through five husbands and countless lovers to escape a life on the streets. In between using and deceiving her besotted paramours, she is not above picking a pocket or two! All the while, though, her heart belongs to the charismatic Jemmy. Inevitably, even the most clever criminal's luck runs out and Moll is soon facing hangman's noose. As her execution day approaches, she devises on last desperate ploy to save not only her own neck, but also the life of her one true love.

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Reviews

Alicia I love this movie so much
Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever
Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
ma-cortes A fun romp set from Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel focusing a poor orphan girl who seeks wealthy life in England . Born in London's Newgate prison , at the beginning she becomes a house servant , and after that , Moll embarks on her first marriage , but being soon widowed and then she decides to make her own way and fortune as well as misfortunes . As Moll (Alex Kingstone) is a beautiful female chased around every bedchamber in London town . Moll Flanders (female derivative of Tom Jones) plots to get ahead through an advantageous series of romances and marriages . Moll ulteriorly marries various lovers , and briefly finds happiness in America until she to be aware by her actual mother (Diana Rigg) that married to a brother , committing incest . But Moll's plans are ruined again when she falls in love for a mysterious aristocrat , who results to be a wanted highway man (Daniel Craig) . As she falls for an impoverished stagecoach robber and she flees from him . Her ulterior life as a whore and thief leads her to drink and near suicide , despite the unwavering friendship of another robber female , and subsequently , things get dreary , landing in prison and a likely candidate for the gallows . However , the ever-enterprising Flanders always finds her way . Not surprisingly , love , cash and marriages conquer all . As at the end , Sir James and lady Molly Seagrave became very rich and well respected citizens , one of the foremost families in America , and quite forgot their former crimes... and rightly so . We cannot always be wringing our hands over the past . In truth , we do what we must , get by any way we can . We are all on the Wheel of Fortune . TV Mini-series in four episodes well played , compellingly made and adequately setting . A series much after the style of ¨Tom Jones¨ and ¨Fanny Hill¨ with bag of incident and color . This period piece turns out to be the 4th on-screen adaptation of Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel , though it misses of the lip-smacking period relish spoiled with abundant sexual scenes , nudism and mediocre photography . Being pretty faithfully to Defoe novel in telling the fortunes and misfortunes of this lively hustler who eventually finds herself working at the brothel of greed and with a scheming landlady . This adaptation moves the setting of the novel forward a few decades . In the novel, adding up the dates reveals that Moll first goes up to London in the late 1630s , and begins her career as a thief in the 1660s ; in this series, however, these events are associated with Moll attending two plays "The Country Wife" (1675) and "The Way of the World" (1700) ; as the costumes are appropriate to this later period . Nice acting from Alex Kingstone as the wickedly seductive Moll , a spirited heroine who becomes a robber , a prostitute , marries several times and eventually winds up in prison . Alex Kingstone holds everything together with help a talented supporting casting . As the secondary cast is frankly good such as Christopher Fulford , James Fleet , Diana Rigg , Tom Ward , Roger Ashton-Griffiths , Ronald Frazer and Daniel Craig who years later would star in the James Bond films . Other films based on the bawdy , rousing retelling from Daniel Defoe's novel are the followings : ¨ The amorous adventures of Moll Flanders¨ (1965) by Terence Young with Kim Novak , Richard Johnson , Lilli Palmer , Vittorio De Sica , George Sanders , Leo McKern ; and ¨Moll Flanders¨ (1996) by Pen Densham with Robin Wright Penn , Stockard Channing , Brenda Fricker , John Lynch and Morgan Freeman as a dignified servant . Furthermore , TV rendition (1976) ¨Moll Flanders¨ with Julia Foster , Kenneth Haigh , Barry Jackson and Ian Ogilvy .
dszemplinski-925-699924 At least the host of PBS's MT admits that liberties were taken with the original work. A potentially poignant film is - per usual- smeared with cinematic fecal matter so predictably painted like graffiti in a subway. The larger picture of the societal ills particular to 17/18th century England is marred by pornography (almost to the point of comedy). I think I've seen more of Alex Kingston's nips than my own in the last six months. What should have been the Les Miserables of England is reduced to wanton balderdash, having negated the seriousness of the underlying theme. Though beautifully filmed, the audience's intelligence is mocked by bottom feeder's fodder. It seems the producer's M.O is H.L. Mencken's slight, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people." Fortunately, many may read the book to find out the real story - and actually learn something. My copy is now on order.
brujeria Years ago when this aired on Baton Rouge's WLPB PBS station it was HEAVILY edited! Only after someone reminded me that it was being re-shown on WYES in New Orleans UNCUT I eagerly tuned in! Totally changed the entire direction of the movie! I don't think stations should be allowed to run cut movies. Show it at a later time but don't hack up good movies, especially a classic just for someones Puritanical nonsense! Have to say...even cut up as it was the first time I saw it, it was still a 10.
Yutty I love this movie, it's excellent. I give it a 10.Alex Kingston is great. Sexy and funny. Her best performance.