In Genie, Bernard Bottle is an art dealer for a prestigious auction house in New York. He’s good at his job, but he constantly keeps putting his career ahead of his family.
Due to his never-ending work commitments he missed Thanksgiving, he’s just missed his daughter’s birthday, and with Christmas coming up, things aren’t looking good. As a result of all this, his wife Julie is beyond disappointed and she chooses to take their daughter away for the holidays, to ensure neither of them are let down again.
Keen to fight for his marriage, Bernard approaches his boss about taking some time off for Christmas so he can spend a few weeks with his wife and daughter. However, Bernard’s boss is not so understanding and promptly fires him, leaving Bernard unemployed just before the festivities begin.
Feeling depressed and downbeat, Bernard returns home to his apartment, where he picks up an old jewellery box that needs a clean. As he begins to rub the lid of the box with his sleeve, there’s a puff of blue smoke, and suddenly a strange woman appears.
The woman tells Bernard she is a genie, with the ability to grant him unlimited wishes. When Bernard rubbed the lid he released her from box, and now she’s free, the genie – named Flora – can give him whatever he wants (within reason).
Bernard’s first thought is he wants his family back, however, Flora quickly explains she can’t control anyone’s feelings. But if he’s in agreement, even though she can’t alter their thoughts, she can help Bernard uncover a workable alternative.
Happy about this arrangement, Bernard works with Flora to start improving his current situation in the hope of getting his family back together. As they put their plan in motion, Bernard and Flora become friends and attempt to make things right again.
Directed by Sam Boyd, Genie is a Christmas fantasy comedy starring Paapa Essiedu and Melissa McCarthy. The movie landed on Peacock in the US on the 22nd of November, and is available to stream in the UK from Friday 1st December, courtesy of Sky and NOW.
If you live in the UK and the premise of Genie sounds a bit familiar, this is because the film is a remake of the 1991 British TV movie, Bernard and the Genie, which starred Lenny Henry. Both movies are the work of screenwriter Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, Love, Actually, etc), only this film is produced in the US on a bigger budget.
However, regardless of the change in setting as well as the increased investment, this is a fairly small-scale story, which largely centres around the relationship between Bernard and Flora. The interactions between the pair become the main focus of the film and this is where the majority of the magic lies.
It’s fair to say that Genie is not an amazing movie, nor is it an example of Richard Curtis’ best written work, but it is a fairly fun film. Genie is quite playful, there are a decent amount of gags, and it works well for a family audience (if you can overlook a couple of unnecessary swear words).
The pairing of Paapa Essiedu and Melissa McCarthy makes for a good combination, and is a highlight of the film, with the latter giving a particularly enjoyable turn as Flora. McCarthy’s performance isn’t as grand or as wacky as some of her previous comedic roles, and there is the sense it could go bigger, but it fits in nicely with the tone of this picture.
This isn’t a world-changing adventure story, with a central protagonist wishing for untold riches and power, it’s a simple tale about a father who just wants to have his wife and daughter back in his life. Bernard’s journey throughout the film is about focusing on the important things, and the people who make everything worthwhile, so it can be forgiven for not being quite as grand as it could be.
That said, the movie could do with a bit more oomph and razzle-dazzle at times, as well as a few more laughs. It is a likeable picture, and has a certain undeniable warmth which will give it some legs over time, but it never fully reaches its potential.
However, I don’t want to dwell on its shortcomings because I feel this would do the film a disservice. Genie is heart-warming in the right places, and should prove enjoyable for those after a little escapism this Christmas.
While Genie doesn’t quite hit all the heights, and it never escapes the ‘TV movie’ trappings, it is fun. McCarthy gives a solid performance and the underlining themes and general spirit of the movie is all there.
Could it be a better film with a few tweaks? Sure! But Genie remains charming and on this occasion charming works perfectly fine.
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