*****SPOILERS*****
Charles Condamine and his
wife Ruth do a séance led by Madam Arcati. This materialises Elivra, Charles’
first wife. He’s the only one who can see her which leads to a plethora of embarrassing
and funny moments during the film.
As the film went on, Elvira
got nastier and nastier. It made me wonder how Charles fell in love with her,
and why he still pined for her. If she acted in life how she did in death, I’d
expect Charles to feel more relief than grief that she was dead! But we learn
from Madam Arcati that spirits grow more malevolent as time goes on.
Elvira sabotages Charles’ car
so he’d die and she’d get to be with Charles. But Ruth drives the car and she
dies instead. Then at the end, both Elvira and Ruth run over Charles. Not so
that he can spend eternity with them but to get their revenge. I wasn’t
expected that at all. If not for this moment, the film would have just petered
out without a decent conclusion.
There are two problems with
how this film came about.
Charles is writing a screen play adaptation for
his first book. Yet the plot is completely different, as are the characters. So
it’s not an adaptation then, it is? If the plot and characters are different
then how is there any continuity?
The impression I got from the adverts was that
the film took place over one night. Arcati seemed like a faker (taking
advantage of believers) which was why she seemed so surprised to have actually
summoned a dead person. So the film was hardly anything like it was advertised.
The actual premise of the film was superior but this discord between
advertising and reality is annoying.
This had gentle humour and
was a good way to spend an afternoon. But it didn’t have the wow factor that would
make me actively recommend it. (If it came up in conversation, I would, but I’d
not introduce it as a topic.)
