Bernard and the Genie

I have to agree with the rest of the comments on this page - this is the greatest Christmas film of all time. The performances from Lenny Henry, Alan Cummings and Rowan Atkinson are well cast as are the extras such as Mrs Purse and the lift operator. The acting is superb and the writing is excellent. I have watched it since it was first broadcast Christmas 1991 when I was 8, and have always enjoyed it even from that early age! So definitely a recommended film for all ages, and at any time of the year! "You smell of peppermints and it is time to die!"

"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.

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!

Forget 'Love, Actually' this is the ORIGINAL Christmas feel good movie by the great writer/director Richard Curtis ('Four Weddings & a Funeral', 'Notting Hill', 'Bridget Jones Diary', 'Mr. Bean', 'Blackadder' and of course 'Love, Actually') Bernard & The Genie is quite possibly one of his finest pieces of writing – despite being his first film the story delivers on every level. Commissioned by the BBC in the early 1990's to be placed in the Christmas Programming it's STILL, nearly 15 years on, better than ever, full of emotion, warmth, pathos and of course trademark Curtis laughs. Its short enough and entertaining enough to keep children hooked from the outset and seems, like many things in life, to get better with age. I was 7 when it was first shown on television, it was fantastic then and it was still fantastic when I watched it last night.

The story is simple, our hero (Bernard) is an infallible arts dealer who seems to have both success and good fortune, he's engaged to be married and has just earned his art dealing company £50 million. Then, through a series of very unfortunate events (primarily due to other peoples greed and bad will) he is left jobless, single, broke and lonely (prompting one of many exceptionally worked Christmas hit songs.) Then, while reminiscing about last Christmas he finds a present given to him by his now ex-fiancé...a lamp.

What follows is the story of a very unlikely friendship between a hapless ex-arts dealer and a street wise 2000 year old Genie – and the result is a heart warming Christmas treat. It delicately describes both the 'real' reason for and commercial side of Christmas better than any other Christmas film I've seen before or since.

The acting is superb, both Alan Cummings (X-Men 2, Spy Kids, Eyes Wide Shut) and Lenny Henry (Chef, The Lenny Henry Show) deliver both comedy and drama to great effect and there on-screen chemistry is something many big budget films fail to create. Rowan Atkinson plays the snide and malicious Charles Pinkworth masterfully, and all the other parts (plus many cameos including Bob Geldof, Melvin Bragg, Gary Lineker and Trevor McDonald) are played brilliantly, particularly Dennis Lill (Fierce Creatures, Evita) as friendly serial-lying doorman Kepple.

The music in the film fits in like an old well-loved glove; I was convinced that many of the famous songs were written specifically for the film, the breathtaking score by Howard Goodall (various comedy show themes, The Gathering Storm, Johnny English) is both atmospheric and beautiful.

If you're a fan of Christmas films, good British humour, or simply fancy being cheered up I urge you to try and find this film, look beyond some of the more dated jokes and costumes and enjoy a story which is timeless and what I'm sure will one day be recognised as a proverbial 'Christmas Classic'.

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.