2020 UK

3.6 out of 5

In the 1920s, England. Charles, a popular writer who was in a slump, was struggling to rewrite his novel as a screenplay for a movie. Despite repeated urgings from his wife's father, a movie company executive, he couldn't write a single word. Since he plans to include a medium in the script, Charles invites the shady medium Madame Arcati to his house to hold a séance in order to get inspiration from the appearance of a real medium. At first, no one believed in Madame's powers, but she summons Charles' ex-wife Elvira, who died in an accident, from the spirit world. Since then, Elvira has been staying in Charles' house, harassing Charles and his wife Ruth, and eventually even trying to kill Charles. Charles is flustered and at her mercy, but he cannot ignore her because he would not be able to write the work without her help. However, Ruth senses a crisis in their marriage and goes to Madame Arcati to ask for an exorcism...

Ruth Condomine is played by Isla Fisher, known for "The Great Gatsby," "Now You See Me," and "Nocturnal Animals."

Elvira is played by Leslie Mann, known for "Philip" and "Motherless Brooklyn."

This is a film adaptation of a play by the famous British author Noel Coward.

The original title and the title of the original work mean "cheerful ghost," which originally represents Elvira's free-spirited personality, but in this film, Elvira is more unashamed and shameless than cheerful, the type of woman who likes to manipulate men, so even though she is deceased, it is difficult to sympathize with her, and you end up feeling sorry for her current wife, Ruth.

The first half of the film gives the impression of a slapstick comedy about a writer who is caught between his ex-wife and current wife and is at a loss. To be honest, I thought it was not a great story until the middle of the story, but the second half of the story had some unexpected developments and was quite entertaining. As expected from the original author Noel Coward, he doesn't write boring stories.

The reason I felt it was "not a great story" was solely because of Charles, who is indecisive, trying to be nice to both Elvira and Ruth. Of course, there is no comparison between his ex-wife whom he loved deeply in the past and his current wife whom he loves deeply now, and it is impossible to choose one... but one of them is a ghost. Charles tries to give Elvira, who is too mischievous, a good word, but it has no effect at all, and he is constantly being played by her. I was feeling confused inside, thinking that Charles can't do that, but in the second half of the story, Charles' "bad" points are properly criticized, and I felt a certain sense of satisfaction.

The key person in this story is the fraudulent medium Madame Arcati. Her powers had only been fake up until now, but now she finally shows her true potential, as if her long-cherished wish has come true. The way she says "Wait, did I really have powers?" reminds me a bit of Oda Mae from "Ghost." She is played by Judi Dench, who is the epitome of a lovable grandmother, and it's a bit interesting to see her as a fake.

In summary, the acting and presence of the cast were not bad, but the story was only moderately interesting thanks to the content of the original, not the skill of the creators. The fact that the ghosts' ghostly setting was unclear, such as whether they could be touched by humans or not, was also one of the reasons that gave the story an ambiguous impression. Well, if you feel like watching a light comedy, this kind of movie is a good choice.

Dan Stevens originally had the look of a rich British boy, but in recent years he has worked hard to transform his body and has taken on the appearance of a carnivorous playboy.This time he is playing his original rich boy role, and seeing his Queen's English and elegant, calm demeanor, I thought that this kind of role really suits him.