Review by Tristan Bishop
I’ll start this review with a warning – A Magnificent Haunting is not a horror film. Yes, it contains ghosts – several in fact – but what we’re dealing with here is a light-weight, low-key comedy more inspired by Almodovar than Insidious. Director Ferzan Özpetek, known for several gay-themed dramas and comedies, mostly set in his home city of Rome, here embraces a supernatural slant on what is otherwise a sweet-natured and easy going tale of a man trying to find himself.
We are introduced to Pietro (played by Elio Germano), an aspiring actor who has moved to Rome, and supports himself by working nights in a bakery. At first he lives with his cousin Maria (Paola Minaccioni), who seems to have quite the crush on him, which is unfortunate, as Pietro is gay. Soon they find a surprisingly cheap, large apartment for him, and he moves in ready to start his new life properly. Of course Pietro is not alone in the house, as it turns out to be haunted by 8 ghosts, members of the Apollonia theatre company, who have been haunting the place since World War 2. Thankfully these ghosts, although initially an annoyance, are friendly, and could eventually prove useful to Pietro’s acting ambitions.
The original Italian title of A Magnificent Haunting is ‘Magnifica Presenza,’ which translates more directly as ‘A Magnificent Presence’, which is a fitting pun on the haunting/acting themes of the film, and the humour contained within is on a similarly refined level – this is no hysterical slapstick, you might raise a smile but you won’t be busting any guts from giggling. The script is fairly sharp, with most of the humour coming from characterisation, and the film itself is warm and charming. Unfortunately it’s also hideously over-long (by a good 30 minutes or so in fact), predictable, and rather dull, and if you can find yourself watching this without checking your watch at the hour mark, you’re a better person than I (or you’ve dozed off already).
One of the most interesting points (and a source of some of that charm) for me about the film is that, although the main character is gay, the film doesn’t make this a major source of drama – Pietro has pressing issues other than ‘dealing with his sexuality,’ and it’s refreshing to see this in a film. Unfortunately, despite this, and the generally likeable nature of the rest of the film, A Magnificent Haunting is a guest that rather outstays its welcome.
A Magnificent Haunting will be released to select UK cinemas on 25th October, before coming to VOD and DVD on 11th November, from Peccadillo Pictures.