BLITHE SPIRIT (12)

Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) has been in the grip of writer’s block since the death of his first wife Elvira (Leslie Mann) five years ago. The creative impasse is an unfortunate consequence of “borrowing” Elvira’s brilliant plot notes, character design and dialogue, then passing off her genius as his own work. Charles hopes to reinvigorate his career by adapting one of his books as a script for the movie mogul father of his second wife, Ruth (Isla Fisher). “You’ve been commissioned to write a 90-page screenplay, not War And Peace,” she calmly reminds him. In the grip of self-doubt, Charles invites “world renowned spiritualist and medium” Madame Arcati (Dame Judi Dench) to conduct a seance at his home, attended by Ruth, good friend Dr Bradman (Julian Rhind-Tutt) and his wife Violet (Emilia Fox).

The ritual unexpectedly summons Elvira from the dead and the capricious spirit, which only Charles can see, wreaks havoc.

Based on Noel Coward’s celebrated 1941 farce, Blithe Spirit exorcises Arcati’s delicious scenestealing theatrics – Dench plays the signature role largely straight with a tragic back story – and focuses instead on a battle of spooky sexes that threatens to put half the characters in an early grave.

Edward Hall’s handsomely dressed film is certainly blithe when it comes to landing laughs in the right places, relying heavily on Fisher’s natural gifts as a physical comedian. Embedding the story firmly in Tinseltown’s first golden age (Greta Garbo, Clark Gable and director Cecil B De Mille enjoy cameos in Charles’ rise and fall) doesn’t add the sparkle that this version desperately needs.