User reviews

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.

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!

During the holiday season, Art Dealer Bernard Bottle (Alan Cumming) is seemingly on top of the world having made a major London firm 50 million Pounds due to his findings. However when Bernard meets with his boss, Pinkworth (Rowan Atkinson) and voices his desire to give half the proceeds from the sales to elderly women he procured the works from, Pinkworth responds by firing Bernard and blacklisting him from the other art handling intermediaries. With his grim employment future, Bernard's day only gets worse when he finds that his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend and steals most of the possessions in Bernard's flat. When polishing an old oil lamp Bernard received as a gift, the act releases Josephus (Lenny Henry), a 2000 year old Arabian knife thrower who was imprisoned in the lamp by a vengeful sorcerer. Following some misunderstandings, Josephus and Bernard become friends with Bernard showing Josephus the marvels of the modern world while Josephus helps Bernard rebuild his shattered life.

A small TV movie from 1991, the movie comes from director Paul Weiland in a massive comeback from his disastrous Bill Cosby vehicle Leonard Part 6 and writer Richard Curtis of Blackadder and Mr. Bean. Curtis was driven to write the fantasy comedy following a viewing of an Agatha Christie adaptation that left him depressed, and the end result was Bernard and the Genie. The movie takes a familiar but rich "wish fulfillment" premise and through the comic talent behind and in front of the camera results in an entertaining and endearing comedy with a festive core.

The film marks Alan Cummings first major starring role, and Cumming deservedly received critical accolades for his performance as Bernard Bottle, a well intentioned man who finds himself fighting against backstabbing opportunists on both a personal and professional level with his only source of levity coming from elevator operator, Kepple, who often tells sad lies about his own life to cheer Bernard up in a very amusing portrayal by Denis Lill. Lenny Henry is very funny and energetic as Josephus the genie and makes a wonderful foil for the more down to earth Bernard with his exuberance and lust for life making him an endearing figure in the film. Both Henry and Cumming have great chemistry doing seemingly mundane activities by modern standards that from Josephus' point of view are revelatory. Rowan Atkinson is entertainingly despicable as Pinkworth, even if admittedly it recycles some of Atkinson's Blackadder persona, but in terms of how it fits into the movie it lends itself to some nice comic gags.

The plot is pretty episodic with most of the movie consisting of relatively self-contained situations of Bernard and Josephus just going about their day. There's no real limit on the wishes with the only rule they establish being the wishes can't change someone's feelings nor is there much of a conflict driving the narrative. The movie is a very relaxed sit of these characters interacting with each other and because they're such charismatic and likable presences they really don't need to manufacture any conflicts or "nadirs" in the film to artificially inflate the drama.

Bernard and the Genie is an enjoyable sit thanks to the strong writing by Richard Curtis, tight direction of Paul Weiland, and energy and charisma of its cast. Alan Cumming makes a strong debut as a leading man and Lenny Henry owns the scene with his comic energy. The movie is a great small scale character based comedy to put on during the seasons.

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.

Older genration Brits liking the Richard Curtis penned Christmas romp "Genie" may enjoy his "Bernard And The Genie" that it remade, which the BBC first aired on Dec 23, 1991. Londoner Alan Cummings is fired (by Rowan Atkinson - in Cummings' role in the remake btw) & loses gf Andrée Bernard to his best mate - but at least gets genie Lenny Henry granting him unlimited wishes... so silly adventures ensue amid sharp one-liners (esp from Dennis Lill (great)) and cameos from Bob Geldolf, Gary Lineker, Trevor McDonald & Melvyn Bragg. It's cheap & dated tv-standard fare (no offence director Paul Weiland) but with "Genie" now playing, it at least has a new curiosity appeal.

This film never fails to cheer me out of the holiday blues. In fact, I can think of no other film that so succinctly brings the true message of Christmas to the fore without being preachy or heavy-handed. Alan Cumming is simply adorable as luckless Bernard and Lenny Henry is utterly engaging as the titular genie. Henry's tour-de-force performance as the ancient genie discovering modern delights like Big Macs and action films is a wonder to behold. I am tearing up just thinking of the ending, but this truly is a heart-warming film; (though I don't like using that clichéd term, it really means something in this movie.) Rowan Atkinson may have a thankless role as the rat bastard art dealer, but he handles it perfectly. It was my passion for Atkinson's work that made me look at this film in the first place, and I am so grateful I taped it off A&E those many years ago. This is required viewing at Christmastime.

"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.

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'.

BERNARD AND THE GENIE was a really good Fantasy Comedy-Drama. Every scene with Lenny Henry was hilarious, especially when he is taken to the police station and he has his photos taken and makes silly faces in front of the camera and especially when he accidentally cuts his hand with his sword. Alan Cumming did a good performance as Bernard, and he makes you feel sorry for the character. Rowan Atkinson was good in his famous Blackadder role as Bernard's greedy and corrupt employer. The TV movie has it's moments. Parts of the film were very sad, especially when Bernard says a tearful goodbye to the Genie and Bernard and the Genie's hearts are broken, when Bernard's fiancée has a affair with his best mate and The Genie learns his kittens and his girlfriend have been dead for centuries. Still Bernard and the Genie made a star out of Alan Cumming who went to star in GoldenEye and X-Men 2, both films starred Famke Janssen. BERNARD AND THE GENIE is for all those who are fans of Lenny Henry and Rowan Atkinson. I hope one-day, Alan Cumming and Lenny Henry reunite and make a long-awaited follow-up "Bernard and the Genie 2", where Bernard reunites with the Genie. It would be nice know what has happened to Bernard, years after the Genie went back home to his own time.

Oh Come ON! No movie this stinky gets a rating this high without a concerted campaign to pump it up. Best Christmas movie ever? Please! Haven't the producers run out of relatives to write these reviews? Isn't anyone else a little suspicious about ratings of nothing but 9s & 10s-- not even "Star Wars" or "Gone with the Wind" is this consistent.

In all fairness, Alan Cumming was palatable in this low-low-budget made-for-TV flick. But the script is so clunky we were rolling our eyes and asking ourselves what would possess anyone to recommend such mediocrity. Even Rowan Atkinson had a hard time making these lines funny. I'm sure he didn't get paid nearly enough.

Young kids might actually sit through this, but anyone older than about 14 is likely to pass out from boredom waiting for a laugh. Go lift a pint at the pub and come back in an hour...or make that 70 minutes. No need to waste a single moment on this one.

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!

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 saw this little film a while back on A & E, and recently found that it was released on a "bare bones" DVD. Doesn't matter, though, as the movie doesn't need any bells and whistles to spice it up.

The movie introduced me to Alan Cumming and Rowen Atkinson - two of the better character actors around.

It is quite simply one of the best Holiday movies ever. I really loved the characters, and found the British humor and pace to be a refreshing change from the normal American flicks. I recently saw the movie Millions and it seems somewhat reminiscent of BATG's style.

It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story rank as my all-time Holiday favorites, with BATG finishing a close third.

Every year since it was first shown on A&E in the USA, watching this movie has been a holiday tradition in my house. It's a wonderful retelling of the Aladdin story, and for my money I will take a "live" Lenny Henry over an animated Robin Williams as a genie any day.

"Would you care to join us for a shake of milk, or would you prefer something more formal where your parents are involved?"

I'd have to admit it's dated a little, but 'Bernard and the Genie' is still my favourite film. Nothing else in the world can make you feel so happy and sad at the end like this. It couldn't be improved on, except for the fact that it's already forgotten. It's about time that Richard Curtis started thinking about lengthening it and turning it into a fully fledged feature.

This is one of the worst movies I've seen in very long time. I watch 5 movies or more each week and this is truly dreadful. The film quality is very grainy, camera work is lousy, editing is so bad I couldn't follow it in some places, script is horrendous, acting is over-the-top stupid, story is marginal at best...

It's just plain awful. Were people paid to give this movie 9's and 10's in review? There can be no other explanation. Either that, or everyone saw this as a kid before they developed any taste what-so-ever.

I feel bad because I asked my local library to purchase a copy based on IMDb's comments. Now I might have to forget to return it so no one else gets tricked into watching it. Please stop the site abuse from phony reviews!!

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"

Wow. When I first saw this movie, I have NEVER heard of it. By reading other people's comments, I am not alone. The only preconception I had was that it would be one of those obscure, goofy, and generally bad "genie" movies.

And then the movie starts, takes your preconceptions, and turns them inside out before ripping them apart. Now that's what I like in a movie!

I look anxiously every year for this unique and truly funny Xmas movie. No one can beat a pre Cabaret Alan Cummings and the superb Lenny Henry. The most enjoyable Christmas movie I have ever viewed.

It's rare that a Christmas movie like this comes along. There are great acting performances, particularly from Lenny Henry and Rowan Atkinson. It's naturally funny which is a rarity when most Christmas movies seem to be forced comedies. The storyline piques your curiosity and finishes with a very satisfying, non-traditional conclusion.

There is something in this movie for everybody. I was 8 when I first saw it, totally by accident. I was looking for Batman but found this instead...and I'm so glad I did! I watched it with my sister who was 6 at the time and we were riveted from start to finish. Maybe it was the splendidly sinister Rowan Atkinson, The sweet Alan Cumming, or most likely, the hilarious Lenny Henry we loved it and I've been looking for a Region 2 DVD for ages. However you get hold of a copy I'd recommend it for all ages! What surprises me most it that (as far as I know) it has never been repeated, it may be a TV movie but it was high class! It took me a while to get some of the jokes but this is a laugh a minute romp about a genie who returns to the land of the living 2000 years after he was imprisoned in a lamp. I'd recommend this for anyone in need of cheering up or just anyone for that matter!

'Bernard And The Genie (1991)' is about a man who gets fired from his job simply for trying to do the decent thing, is blacklisted from ever working in a similar career, finds out his fianceé has been cheating on him with his best friend and winds up all alone in an empty apartment at Christmastime, only to accidentally free a genie that has been trapped in one of his lamps for two thousand years. Maybe his luck isn't so bad, after all? Well, not really, because he gets into a bit of bother while he's trying to use his new wishing abilities to cheer himself up, and because he ultimately doesn't fix anything that puts him in a bad spot towards the beginning. However, he doesn't so much fix his life (or even try) as he does just cheer himself up, spending time with the genie as he introduces him to modern life and has plenty of fun along the way. The narrative is very slight and the filmmaking very made-for-television, but it does have a certain level of distinctly British charm to it and its simplicity is sort of its strength in a way. The cast do what they can with the material, with the highlight being Rowan Atkinson as the scene-stealing Scrooge whose over-the-top money-grubbing motives and general moral failings make him stand out as a real nasty piece of work. Ultimately, though, there's just not all that much to the picture and it isn't all that entertaining. It's more enjoyable - and more compact - than its recent remake, but only just. It's a decent effort for what it is, but it isn't exactly inspiring overall.

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!"

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.