Bernard and the Genie (1991)

Truly Dreadful Film

Lack of good storyline.

Just perfect...

Absolutely the worst movie.

"Bernard and the Genie" first hit Australian screens in the early nineties and when it was on, it was taped by someone in my household and it was clearly one of the greatest decisions ever made. I absolutely adore this movie, there are wall-to-wall, non-stop laughs and a wonderful, heartwarming Christmas storyline.The script, written by Richard Curtis who later went on to write Four Weddings & a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones' Diary, is flawless, it's nothing more than a classic British comedy weaved around a modernisation of the Ali Baba story.The film really also launched the career of Alan Cumming, who went on to bigger, if not better, things, and whoever he's played more recently, he'll always be endeared in my heart as Bernard Bottle, that simple, humble Scottish art dealer.A lot of this relies on Lenny Henry and his making a fool of himself in public - a lot of it is based on anachronistic jokes, but the partnership between the physical and, frankly, very silly antics of Henry and the very quaint and naive simplicity of Cumming balances out perfectly. Rowan Atkinson is also wonderful as a greedy, rich and fundamentally unlikeable bastard. I also love Dennis Lill as the lift operator Kepple, all of his scenes are brilliant.Even writing about it now makes me smile. If you ever get a chance to see this movie, do, I can assure you you won't be disappointed. It's warm, sweet-hearted and immensely funny. I can't bring myself to give this less than five stars even if it is just short and sweet.

This is an hilarious take on the classic Aladdin-style story featuring British comics. The two leads handle their roles with the right amount of humour and affection. They're not cloying or raucous at all. My fav scene however, is at the end where Rowan Atkinson's Scrooge-like character has been made a reluctant notable benefactor of an international charity. A television crew is interviewing him on his enormous contribution, and he is forced to make condescending remarks to the camera while secretly seething with resentment inside. It is a superb comic moment, and Rowan Atkinson handles it to perfection.There are other great off-the-cuff moments like where the Genie makes a casual remark about attending Jesus' feeding of the multitude; and Bernard hugs a character for not being dead in an alternate story-line (you'll have to see the story to understand). All in all, a brilliant piece of comic storytelling; made more exceptional by its low budget and television environment.

I watched this the first time for Rowan Atkinson, who makes a great bad, evil boss. However, it was even better than I thought it might be!Lenny Henry is almost unrecognizable but an amazing talent with timing and great lines. Bernard, played by Alan Cumming, is wonderful as the poor picked on mope who's life is changed by the genie.This is a great Christmas movie - although there is a bedroom scene towards the beginning that you may want to check out before letting younger children view it.

I saw this when it premiered on UK television, Christmas 1991. I taped it from A&E a few years ago, and now it's part of my Christmas Eve ritual! This is a really cute movie, and suitable for older children. (There's nothing really offensive in it; I just don't think there's enough happening to keep younger kids interested.) Alan Cumming and the brilliant Lenny Henry have a great chemistry. Rowan Atkinson is, as ever, brilliant. I love when the Genie tries ice cream for the first time; he runs out into the street and yells, "HEY EVERYBODY, YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS STUFF! It's freezing cold and tastes exactly like strawberries!" I also love the newscast with the results of the boys' wishes. People outside the UK won't get all the references, but it's still worth it!