When Modesty says, sarcastically, that she's 65, in "reality" she was telling the truth. This movie takes place in 2003 and in the comic Modesty was born around the year 1938. Exactly 65 years before 2003.
Since this film takes place prior to Blaise's exploits with The Network, the criminal organization she ran before becoming an agent for British Intelligence, the character of Willie Garvin, Blaise's right-hand man, does not appear. This is the only official Modesty Blaise adventure (comic strip, novel or film) in which Garvin does not appear.
Produced in order for Miramax to retain the rights to Modesty Blaise. Produced as a prequel to the popular spy comic strip, plans call for this film to be followed by more Blaise movies taking place during the timeframe of the comic strip.
The first scene is based on a true story. In 1942 Peter O'Donnell was on a scouting team in what they then called Persia. Making sure the Germans wasn't going through there to capture the oilfields in the middle east. They were sitting under their camouflage tent one day and a 6 year old little girl (probably homeless) was looking at them from a small distance. They gave her a can of McConnochie's and then she left. They never heard from her again.
Shooting took 18 days.