First off... the existing summary sucks. It's very inaccurate!
- Modesty was not raised by M. Louche, nor is she anybody's bodyguard.
- There is no "rampage of revenge". On either side - the main villain is no "old foe".
- There is, likewise, no mention of whatever happened to Modesty's parents: she simply doesn't know, and she doesn't concern herself about it.

Now, to the proper review.

Very much a film for existing fans of the book and graphic novel series by Peter O'Donnell, this surprisingly-low-on-gore piece, directed by Scott Spiegel under the aegis of Quentin Tarantino, deals with two very important incidents in the life of the multi-talented Modesty Blaise: her mysterious childhood and her training, in flashbacks [spoiler]tied into the rest of the story by the major villain's curiosity and Modesty's own version of the Scheherezade gambit[/spoiler], and the single, bloody night in Tangiers [spoiler]that led to her taking control of the Network[/spoiler], in the present day.

I understand why many people who weren't existing fans of the series don't rate this film. It doesn't stand alone as well as it might, but that's one of very few flaws in it, because for those of us who know what surrounds the story it's filling in about its heroine, it doesn't _have_ to.

For existing fans of O'Donnell's best-known heroine, this 2002 (as per the credits; why Trakt claims 2004 I do not know) set-piece is a vast improvement over the only other film Modesty fans had previously had to go on, the Sixties-styled camp flick featuring the now late Monica Vitti in her first English-speaking film role, with Terence Stamp as Willie Garvin. The theme, feel, setting, and even the dialogue of _My Name Is Modesty_ are all head and shoulders above _Modesty Blaise_ (the latter of which I've always seen as disappointing at best, although, due to the lack of alternative options for many years, I do own it).

Alexandra Staden, who was 22 when this film was first released, makes an attractive, intriguing and compelling Modesty, both in her scenes in the casino and in the flashbacks of Modesty's significantly-less-polished adolescence, and has the build and the youthful appearance to pass for twelve or thirteen in her flashbacks without too much trouble, when dressed accordingly. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau shows sufficient mystery and intrigue on the part of his own violent and angry character, Miklos, to keep the film moving at a decent pace. The less major characters aren't all given their moment, but of those who are, Raymond Cruz's Rafael Garcia (whom fans may remember from another appearance in the series), Fred Pearson's Professor Lob, as Modesty's first real teacher and father figure, and Eugenia Yuan's young and inexperienced casino server, Irina, are the standouts.

It didn't make a smash hit in cinemas, but it's most certainly a worthy addition to existing Blaise canon, and has gained something of a cult following among its target audience over the twenty years since its release, I believe deservedly so.