Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

How sad is this?

It is so daring, it is so ambitious, it is so thrilling and weird and pointed and powerful. I never knew where it was going.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Nothing like Defoe's book, this simply uses the character of Moll Flanders to create a completely different story - true, there is still the thieving and the prostitution, but that's where the similarities end.Robin Wright is a spirited Moll and is well supported by Morgan Freeman as a slave she meets on her travels who looks out for her from then on, and Stockard Channing as a scheming brothel madam. Aisling Corcoran plays Flora, the daughter Moll abandoned, and who she leaves her story to inform her of her origins.A little muddled, and no doubt a disappointment for those wishing to see an adaptation of the book (for this, see the excellent version with Alex Kingston made the same year), this 'Moll Flanders' nevertheless looks great and benefits from a great performance from Wright. Well worth a look.

This is a period piece, set in the 18th century. There are lots of characters but only 4 that really count. The actors who play these 4 must really be good, and they all are. Mostly paced deliberately, with little action, it pays off for the patient viewer who likes to read a good book or watch a good story unfold.Robin Wright Penn is the central character Moll Flanders. She was born to an imprisoned woman, who was hanged right after. Moll was raised in orphanages and foster homes, but eventually found herself at a home with a red light in front, a brothel. That she eventually became a "working girl" out of necessity also resulted in her escape from that life. Morgan Freeman is Hibble, and for most of the story is seen finding and escorting via carriage a young girl of 9 or 10 from an orphanage to an unknown destination. He is to read to her along the journey from a journal. It was written by the mother the girl never knew, and who we find is Moll Flanders. It is his reading from this journal that we begin to see, as the movie, told in a flashback format.Stockard Channing is Mrs. Allworthy, the madam of the brothel, and the mother figure that Moll never had. But she is also the one who auctioned off Moll's virginity.The fourth key character is John Lynch as the Artist. He shows up at the brothel long after Moll had become undesirable. He was looking for a girl, the cheaper the better, for he had not much money. We find out later that his father is wealthy, but this artist had gone off on his own to make his career. He only wanted Moll as a model, and not to sleep with. Good story, good movie, the cinematography is outstanding.SPOILERS: Hibble is to take the girl to the new world, America. In a flashback the artist, now her husband, had died and we see that struggling Moll had left her daughter temporarily in the care of a friend, but when Mrs Allworthy showed up unexpectedly and captured Moll to bring her to the new world, the baby was left behind. We also see that the ship encountered a storm and was shipwrecked and, as Hibble narrated, "The name of Moll Flanders went down with the ship." Which was a giveaway to the ending, Moll Flanders didn't die, only her name. Mrs Allworthy actually died and Moll took her name, and her fortune. Hibble was her ally. The movie ends with Moll and her daughter being reunited.

The movie has excellent acting, excellent photography, excellent music and a fascinating story. The complaint that it is not the Daniel Defoe novel seems absurd: James Whale's "Frankenstein" is not Mary Shelley's novel, but it is still a great movie.Robin Wright, Morgan Freeman and Stockard Channing are all terrific as nearly everybody notes, but we should also give credit to Aisling Corcoran who plays Moll's daughter, Flora. She gives one of the most spirited and believable children's performances ever. It reminds me of Dakota Blue Richards' performance in "the Golden Compass." This film shows the tremendous hostility the upper class had towards both women and the poor in 18th century England. It is a good representation of the times. I show it as an example of the time period when I teach Humanities courses. It is also a great example of a strong woman character who develops her own moral standards. So it is especially recommended for teenage girls.

I was so excited when I saw that there was a movie version of Moll Flanders. It is, perhaps, my favorite book of all time. I put on the movie, curled up w/ some popcorn and a drink, and waited to be awed. Well, I was awed, but not in a good way. This movie had absolutely nothing to do with the book! The only thing it has in common is the title, and the fact that Moll's mother had given birth to her while in prison. Other than that- nothing! Moll was NOT a prostitute, like the movie portrayed. Granted, in the novel, she did go through husbands quite quickly. But they were marriages! If I had never read the book, I would have deeply enjoyed this movie. I love all the actors in the movie. Morgan Freeman is one of my favorite male actors. But, I ended up yelling at the TV during the entire movie. I was fortunate enough to see the 1996 British TV version starring Alex Kingston. That was remarkable, and very accurate. I would suggest to everyone to see this version!