Shadows on the Wall

Genie

dir Sam Boyd
scr Richard Curtis
prd Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Richard Curtis
with Melissa McCarthy, Paapa Essiedu, Denee Benton, Jordyn McIntosh, Alan Cumming, Marc Maron, Luis Guzman, LaChanze, Ego Nwodim, John Reynolds, Ellen Cleghorne, Oberon Adjepong
release US 24.Nov.23,
UK 1. Dec.23
23/US Universal 1h33

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While this Christmas comedy is silly and undercooked, it has enough charm to elicit a the occasional warm laugh. Writer Richard Curtis has written more robust screenplays than this remake of his 1991 comedy Bernard and the Genie, so it's unlikely to become a holiday classic. But the performances are engaging and often even amusing. And while the story feels badly contrived, is cheerful enough to lift the spirits.

In a Manhattan auction house, Bernard (Essiedu) is so overworked by his callous boss Flaxman (Cumming) that he misses the birthday of his 8-year-old daughter Eve (McIntosh). This is the last straw for his otherwise loving wife Julie (Benton), who packs up and moves out. Then Bernard inadvertently releases a genie named Flora (McCarthy) from a jewelled box. She quickly adapts to the modern world, and sets out to help Bernard get his life back on track. Of course, Bernard's wishes and Flora's mischievous personality cause plenty of chaos along the way.

Without even the slightest doubt where this is headed, the film's attempts to drum up emotion, tension and even suspense feel half-hearted. But there's plenty of fun to be had in the witty references and a steady stream of random throwaway gags. A running joke about Tom Cruise is vaguely enjoyable, while a jab about Ricky Gervais generates the only proper chortle. Director Boyd films this with the usual sunshiny-snowy Christmas colour, which is so chirpy that it almost obscures some of the darker honesty that stubbornly undermines the premise.

McCarthy has a lot of fun with her scene-chewing role as a cheeky genie whose zany observations provide much of the humour. Her playful attitude is often hilarious, although it never quite tips over into uproarious. She also has terrific chemistry with the thoroughly likeable Essiedu, who gives Bernard a superb everyman quality that's easy to identify with. Even when the plot takes leaps that defy logic, Essiedu is able to sell it to the audience. So it never quite makes sense that Benton's Julie simply walks out on him.

The script travels down a couple of wildly improbable sideroads that seem to undermine whatever the point might be, including a climactic message that the way to make your life happy is to quit your job and take your family out for an expensive meal. Indeed, economics rarely resemble real life in a Curtis screenplay, so the only way for a cynic to get through this relentlessly simplistic little romp is to switch off your brain and smile.

themes, language, violence 26.Nov.23

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