Bernard and the Genie

Like the film Elf, this BBC television film written by Richard Curtis could had been an annual Christmas programming fixture. However the BBC have never repeated it and has rather faded away from the collective memories.

An early starring role for Alan Cumming who plays Bernard Bottle, a mild mannered art dealer fired by his ruthless, conniving boss played by Rowan Atkinson.

At the same time he discovers that his girlfriend is having an affair with his best friend but he accidentally rubs an old lamp she gave him last Christmas and out pops a genie played by Lenny Henry.

Lenny's genie owes less to the Arabian Nights as it mixes it up with the Biblical tale of Jesus. The laughs come from the chemistry between Cumming and Henry and the Genie discovering modern life almost 2000 years later as he eats ice cream, fast food, goes to the cinema watching action films.

At the same time Bernard's old boss wants to discover his list of valuable paintings. Bernard and the Genie need to be one step ahead of him and the police, which requires a dash of time-wimey before it became popular in the re-launched Doctor Who.

The film at 70 minutes does not feel too long but concise, it's not preachy which some Curtis films has a tendency to be. It is brisk family entertainment which after 20 years I enjoyed again with my young son. It is a contender as a classic.

Unfortunately Richard Curtis made a big Hollywood reimagining in 2023 called Genie. It was poor.

This is my favourite Christmas movie. Ever. It is funny and sweet but not cloying. Alan Cumming is such a cute wee thing and Lenny Henry makes me chuckle. I also love the music in it.

I really love this movie. I've seen thousands of films that claim to be 'feel good', but strangely enough none of them actually made me feel good. This one does. It's also quite hilarious, and also sad enough to make me cry at the end. The brilliance that is this film might owe something to the efforts of Lenny Henry, Rowan Atkinson (bugger ye off) and Richard Curtis - not to mention Bernard himself. Another plus factor about this movie is that it really is fit for all ages. Buy it!

It has everything you need in a Christmas film- laughs, tears, a good message, and every Christmas song known to man! Me and my sister still love it and watch it every year at Christmas. It doesn't seem to have been shown on British TV since we recorded back in the early nineties. They really need to show it again so they can introduce a whole new legion of fans to Bernard Bottle. The video is really rare, I paid £40 for it, and now I discover there is a DVD. Bum! But its still amazing. I have seen it so much that when I now hear 'Lonely This Christmas' I expect a bauble to smash after the words "and an unlit Christmas tree" ! "he's Mr success, he's higher than high, he's sweeter than the sweetest cherry pie"

Funny how this movie, which Leonard Maltin has never acknowledged, which was never publicized when it came over to this side of the pond almost 10 years ago, should be such a long-lasting favorite around my house. But it is. We watch it every Christmas and sometimes during the summer as well. Why not? It's terrific. A poor nebbish, Bernard, whose life is at an all-time low, discovers a genie in a lamp, and once he convinces it not to kill him, the two become great friends. In the process the Bernard learns a bit about history, and the genie learns about the modern world.

The acting is terrific; I wish I could see more of Lenny Henry's work as he is a true comic genius, and Alan Cummings conveys just the right amount of silliness and pathos as the poor nebbish, Bernard.

What's truly odd about this film is how it manages, with a few short toss-off sentences, to convey more about Biblical history than most multi-million dollar epics do in their 4+ hours, and how it can seem irreverent and yet still convey a sense that this is what Christianity was about! Not something you'd expect in a film today.

Ultimately we are left with an enormous load of laughter and a surprising mist over the eyes when the movie's over and we've said goodbye to Bernard and the Genie. I wish the movie had been a bit longer; I wish more people had heard about it so I could discuss it with them. But most of all, I wish I could find a Genie like the one Bernard found, who could make my wishes come true.