All work and no play make Charlie a dull boy
Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) is a widely read author of mystery novels. The successes so far have provided him with a full wallet, moderate recognition and the opportunity to live a prosperous life without major worries, but with a beautiful wife – Ruth (Isla Fischer). The gateway to real fame, glitz of salons and indecently big money is to be a screenplay for a film adaptation of one of his novels, commissioned by an influential Hollywood producer (who is also the writer’s father-in-law). The trick is that the creative spring ran dry years ago, along with the tragic accident and premature death of the writer’s muse – his ex-wife, Elvira (Leslie Mann).
Deadlines chase, and vena stubbornly does not come, so Charles grasps the razor and invites the compromised medium, Madame Arcati (Judi Dench), home for a private séance. Unexpectedly the spirit of the writer’s unforgettable love is revealed. As she quickly learns, the apparition longed for worldly comforts and pleasures – but she did not like the re-marriage of her beloved man. But he does not intend to go back to the afterlife …
Source: theguardian.com
The book was better
If we were to rely only on the first impression, it could be concluded that here is a light, frivolous farce wrapped in stylish gilding straight from the interwar period. And in fact, if you focus only on this aspect, it is worth hanging your eye for a moment at the modernist locations à la Bauhaus (although not everyone is impressed by the interior design of the villa of a young couple), colorful dresses, stylishly tailored suits and open-air locations transferred from the canvases of Degas or Manet, depicting the luxuries of the contemporary society. It is true that we will not experience the splendor of the great Gatsby’s receptions – after all, the roaring 20s are long behind us, and our hero’s social circle seems to be limited to members of the immediate family and a friendly marriage of doctors. Every once in a while, a generic era blockbuster plays in the background, most of the time, however, the painting is not accompanied by music. If I wanted to be malicious, I would conclude that the cost of buying a license for major hits was simply not included in the planned budget.
And while such technical trifles can still be blamed on accountants, turning a pitying eye to them, the scenario is different. This one is as thin as a third tea brewed from a previously used sachet. The writers’ trio based their story on Noel Coward’s play. Blithe Spiritfrom 1941 (if you believe the archives, quite warmly received by West End visitors) and its imminent, faithful screen adaptation of David Lean from 1945 (here we also have to refer to articles from years ago, as the film cannot be found in legal sources). Edward Hall’s adaptation is devoid of the lightness, wit and panache of the literary original. Viewers will not experience too many slapstick gags, while the sharp dialogues flowing from the pages of Coward’s art replace shallow sentiments and crude innuendo. Maybe the authors could also use a muse from the beyond?
Source: nytimes.com
All roads lead to the bin with movies for a five
The global pandemic has significantly made life difficult for basically everyone who has been affected by the subsequent stages of the lockdown and other inconveniences. The film industry also suffered – major premieres seemed more and more distant, and cinemas remained closed with minor interruptions for over a year. Blithe Spirit originally it was supposed to appear on the big screens in May 2020, but for obvious reasons – it did not appear. Ultimately, the rights to broadcast in the UK were purchased by Sky, which in January 2021 made the film available on its VOD platform. Soon after, it also found its way to home media. And it seems that this form is the most appropriate for this production – among similar, bland mediocre people, turned on by chance and viewed with one eye, although in fact completely unnecessary. Some ghosts are better not just to evoke.
We invite you to the movie Blithe Spirit to the Cinema City network!
