There's something about spending an interminable amount of time on your sofa that transforms you from a discerning critical thinker into someone willing to watch even the most drab pop culture in the hope it'll proffer a transient glimmer of distraction.
Blithe Spirit certainly served that purpose, turning my head for a brief moment from the tedium of daily life. Edward Hall's adaptation of Noel Coward's classic comic play has a glittery cast. Set in 1937, Judi Dench plays Madame Arcati, a medium trying to salvage her reputation following a "levitation" gone badly wrong — the diamond in the gilt crown of this film. Dan Stevens takes the lead as Charles Condomine, a celebrated writer and pathetic mess of a man, who can no longer string a sentence together. Isla Fisher plays his beleaguered wife Ruth, who struggles to live up to the memory of Charles' deceased former wife. That struggle takes mortal form (well, more like immortal, actually) when Madam Arcarti accidentally brings Charles' dead wife Elvira back from the grave — played by Leslie Mann — only for her to wreak havoc on all their lives.
It soon becomes apparent that Charles is even more of a tragic loser than we'd given him credit for. As he stumbles around his little writing lodge, swilling a glass of whiskey in the hope that the writing muse will visit him, it becomes clear that he's lost his writing mojo — only it's not grief over his late wife that's given him a case of writer's block. In one last-ditch effort to summon some words to a page, he inexplicably asks Madame Arcati to hold a séance at his home. To say Charles gets more than he bargained for would be the understatement of the century.
Leslie Mann as Elvira and Dan Stevens as Charles.Credit: Sky Cinema Original and StudioCanalYou'd think this fantastical plot would lend itself well to bringing you a laugh a minute. And yet....I can't recall laughing out lout once during the 1 hour 35 minute-long film. Something tells me, Noel Coward wouldn't be all too pleased about that shortcoming.
Stevens might have been seam-tearingly hilarious in Eurovision Song Contest, but as Charles Condomine, there's an element of pantomime about him — only one that doesn't so much as crack a smile from the audience. Dench, however, leaves you gasping for more every time she graces us with her presence. As she potters around her Sussex cottage, brewing a spell to try to get rid of Elvira's unwelcome spirit, Dench gives a compelling and believable performance.
Judi Dench as Madame Arcati.Credit: Sky Cinema Original and StudioCanalAs Ruth, Fisher delivers a lot of energetic bluster and harumphing while her husband cavorts around with Elvira, a seductive ghost trying to win back her mortal husband. There is a sense of just desserts being served, thankfully, as Charles gets dealt the ultimate hand of well-deserved revenge from beyond the grave. It doesn't end there, of course. More justice is headed Charles' way, and *in my best Chicago cast singing impression* he had it coming.
Seriously though, this film is a bit of fun, something you'd put on in the middle of a drab, drizzly afternoon. At the end, you'd turn to your beloved and say, "Well, that was nice," pour yourself a drink, and likely never think about it ever again. For viewers, distraction is more than enough right now. But great art this movie most certainly is not.
Blithe Spirit is available to stream in the UK on Sky and NOW TV from Jan. 15, and coming to theatres and VOD in the U.S. on Feb.19.
(责任编辑：焦點)
Dressage horse dancing to 'Smooth' by Santana wins gold for chillest horseKid won't take no for an answer: Builds a Nintendo Switch out of cardboardDrake keeps canceling shows and everyone is pissedThe only fictional character in 'Feud' is also the most painfully real
Here's George Takei chilling in zero gravity for the 'Star Trek' anniversaryOlympian celebrates by ordering an intimidating amount of McDonald's
It's no secret that Olympians have to eat clean for years to ensure they're at peak physical conditi
...[详细]13 things only drunk people can do
Often drunk people are considered a nuisance to society. Not here, not today.
。 For now, we will cele
...[详细]'The Art of the Deal' gets a new chapter on Twitter after TrumpCare collapses
Welpity welp welp welpington.。 If you care to venture onto the Twittersphere over the next few hours
...[详细]NBC will air the 2018 Olympics live because social media always spoils everything
Finally! NBC will air the 2018 Winter Olympics live across all U.S. time zones.。 You can thank -- or
...[详细]Olympics official on Rio's green diving pool: 'Chemistry is not an exact science'
The diving pool for the Summer Olympics mysteriously turned green this week in Rio de Janeiro, then
...[详细]This company claims it will make you a watch using your cat's hair
You miss your pet when you're not at home, right? Totally. This might help: send an airtight bag of
...[详细]Terrify the children in your life with this weeping unicorn candle
Ever wanted to make a unicorn cry tears made from its own horn? Well, that's messed up, but you can
...[详细]Jack Dorsey's Square launches in the UK
Mobile payments company Square, founded by Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey, has launched in the UK and is
...[详细]Olympic security asks female Iranian fan to drop protest sign
Olympic security personnel questioned a female Iranian volleyball fan Saturday when she showed up fo
...[详细]Women deserve more credit. For proof, just look at #ThanksForTyping.
Ever get the *ahem* sneaking suspicion that women do way more work than they're given credit for? We
...[详细]