Blithe Spirit

I didn't laugh even once. It wasn't even a dark comedy. There simply weren't any jokes in it. Like, none. The production value is top notch and the acting is pretty good but that's about all there is to it. The story is quite boring actually. Nothing original. Judy Dench is great of course.

I find this comedy funny and delightful. The characters are fun and lovely. The colours are vibrant, and the tone is light. I really enjoyed it.

The only levels on which this adaptation succeeds is that it opens the play up so it feels less theatrical. However the new script on retains only a scattering of the Noel Coward dialogue and the new stuff makes all the characters unlikable and tedious. They've even made Madame Arcati's character far less quirky and quite bland. Can't image who the makers think this will appeal to. Traditional Coward fans will hate it and it has nothing to recommend it to anyone else.

I have never seen the original play or movie, so I'm not making a comparison. I think the main problem of this movie is that it lacks in rhythm. It felt too long despite being only an hour and a half. However, I still had a good time watching it. There are some true laugh-out-loud moments and everyone gives a good comedic performance. Also, the costumes and sets are gorgeous. Apparently, there have been a lot of changes from the original story, but I thought this story was good. My rhythm issue came more from some of the dialogue and the editing, I think. You won't be wasting your time watching it, but don't expect a masterpiece.

So much more could have been done with this. Some characters were poorly cast. It was underwhelming. The concept is good but it missed the mark in my opinion.