ITV's hilariously funny, very bawdy and occasionally moving adaptation of Daniel Defoe's tale about an ordinary woman trying all she can to make her mark upon the world in vice-ridden 18th century London, "'The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders" is a TV production not to be sniffed at. Alex Kingston stars as the titular heroine, who plays the character with remarkable integrity and gusto, exactly how she is meant to be. The production spares no details of Moll's dubious careers, and succeeds in angering and moving the audience to tears within minutes of each other. Top class actors, accurate costumes and wonderful settings combined with a tight script results in an intoxicating concoction of televisual brilliance. This adaptation made in 1996 is still as popular as ever, and the new Moll Flanders film is not a patch on this. It is very faithful to the novel and yet still adds its own elements to the original story, adapting it for a more modern audience. A masterpiece!

Entertaining but flawed screen version of Dafoe's novel. Kingston is excellent as Flanders and the rest of the cast does well also. The claustrophobic sets and many close-in shots add to the personal (and earthy!) nature of the story.The only problem I have with the movie is the pacing (I didn't read the book, but most movies based on books seem to have this same problem). Some sequences are given too much screen time and other elements are glossed over. The "theme" is given more importance than the story, which is a shame because there are some really good things here.

Good story. I am glad I didn't invite the kids to watch with me. Should have been warned though. "The more things change, the more they stay the same," is the thought I had after viewing the 18th century set drama. Loved Diana Rigg.

I've seen this 4-part film at once (230 min.) and surprisingly it wasn't tiring or boring at all. On the contrary, the movie caught my attention readily, as it tells this story very well. Alex Kingston is great in the part of this young woman who struggles to be a wealthy gentlelady, even if it requires surrendering her virtue in any way. It's a wonderful movie and I strongly recommend it.