Blithe Spirit

Locations
Call Number: Blu-ray Comedy Blithe
On Shelf At: Westgate Branch

Based on the play by Noel Coward.
Originally released as a motion picture in 2020.
Wide screen (2.39:1).
Special features: behind-the-scenes featurettes, including interviews with actors Judi Dench and Dan Stevens; trailer.
Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Michele Dotrice, Emilia Fox, Julian Rhind-tutt, Judi Dench, Leslie Mann, James Fleet.
Best selling crime novelist Charles suffers from terrible writer's block and is struggling to finish his first screenplay. His picture-perfect new wife Ruth is doing her best to keep him focused so they can fulfill her dream of leaving London for Hollywood. Charles' quest for inspiration leads him to invite the eccentric mystic Madame Acarti to perform a seþance in his home. He gets more than he bargained for when Madame Acarti inadvertently summons the spirit of his first wife: the brilliant and fiery Elvira. Ready to pick up her life right where she left off, Elvira is shocked to discover the prim and proper Ruth is now married to her husband and running her household. Charles finds himself stuck between his two wives and their increasingly over-the-top attempts to outdo one another.
Blu-ray, region A; wide screen (2.39:1); DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and stereo; requires Blu-ray player.
Contents: Blithe spirit.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Fun Ghost Story submitted by Meginator on July 25, 2022, 11:25am This fun period piece from 1930s England is almost great, but falls just short in some of the details; namely, the ending isn’t adequately supported by the preceding character development. However, the cast and the set-up are both excellent, as a bestselling writer seeks to cure a lengthy spell of writer’s block with a visit from the ghost of his former wife. She, of course, clashes with his current wife, and various tensions come to light all while the disgraced psychic who brought her back to the earthly plane attempts to get a proper hold on her powers. The film is very funny, with a particularly British sense of humor to it, and I wanted to love the ending on principle; however, the film doesn’t do enough to really justify its late turn of events, and the conclusion feels a bit forced instead of emotionally satisfying. Nonetheless, despite its late stumbles I quite enjoyed the film. It’s rare these days to find a top-rate comedy that doesn’t worry too much about finding some deeper meaning, and it’s a pleasure just to laugh along.