In "Maxie", the ghost of a starlet from the 1920's takes over the body of a living woman who happens to be the secretary of a Catholic bishop. The premise allows Glenn Close to play a dual role, which she does well enough. In spite of its light-hearted tone, the tale taps into an age-old human fear to be found within many cultures, to wit the fear that the dead envy the living and will do anything to rejoin their ranks.
While the movie is amusing, it lacks that extra crackle and pop. Most of the time it plays things safely, as if it were afraid of shocking the public through hints of creative originality. For instance, "Maxie" sees the deceased flapper - who has taken possession of a living woman - audition for a big role. The role is the female lead in a swords-and-sandals epic about Cleopatra. Couldn't the various creators of "Maxie" have come up with something a bit more original than the Serpent of the Nile vamping a Roman general in her bedroom ?
Also annoying : the movie seems to end without resolving all of the loose ends. What happens, for example, to the specialized exorcist called in by the bishop ? Does the exorcist leave a little business card stating "Called at your address while you were away, please contact me" before departing in search of a healthful lunch ? Does he scour the neighborhood, determined to ferret out any trace of paranormal or supranatural weirdness ? Does he lay in wait for weeks, hoping to ambush the Evil One from behind the rhododendrons ? Your guess is as good as mine...
While the movie is amusing, it lacks that extra crackle and pop. Most of the time it plays things safely, as if it were afraid of shocking the public through hints of creative originality. For instance, "Maxie" sees the deceased flapper - who has taken possession of a living woman - audition for a big role. The role is the female lead in a swords-and-sandals epic about Cleopatra. Couldn't the various creators of "Maxie" have come up with something a bit more original than the Serpent of the Nile vamping a Roman general in her bedroom ?
Also annoying : the movie seems to end without resolving all of the loose ends. What happens, for example, to the specialized exorcist called in by the bishop ? Does the exorcist leave a little business card stating "Called at your address while you were away, please contact me" before departing in search of a healthful lunch ? Does he scour the neighborhood, determined to ferret out any trace of paranormal or supranatural weirdness ? Does he lay in wait for weeks, hoping to ambush the Evil One from behind the rhododendrons ? Your guess is as good as mine...