Do I need to tell those of you who are sensitive that there may be spoilers?
Now, I’m not the foremost expert on romantic comedy; for me, they are just a bit of fun once in a while. This is the first time I have ever actually graced the cinema to watch a romantic comedy.
The cinema packed itself in about 5 minutes, rather than the usual five or six people who attend the normal films I go to see.
Directed by Nora Ephron who brought us Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got Mail, and starring Nicole Kidman (Isabel Bigelow/Samantha), Will Ferrell (Jack Wyatt/ Darrin), Shirley MacLaine (Iris Smythson/Endora) and Michael Caine (Nigel Bigelow) to name the biggest parts.
Being a big fan of Bewitched as a child, I was hoping for a nostalgic revival to the great show. Unfortunately all I got was a nice little romantic comedy (although I must say my attitude of this did change). The film follows both Jack Wyatt (Ferrell) and Isabel Bigelow (Kidman). Wyatt, a failing actor feels his comeback can be had in the form of a remake of the once hit show Bewitched. Afraid that he could get shadowed by a big name female; he looks for an unknown, in doing this he accidentally finds a real witch (Isabel). Predictable antics ensue, and eventually they ‘find’ each other, living happily ever after, much like Darrin and Samantha.
It would seem that I am revisiting my old tendencies again, through watching another film that was neither serious nor magnificent. Which I am very much getting used to. I can only hope some more profound films are released soon.
Nicole Kidman was acting out of the usual performances I am used to seeing. Although I have only watched her in Batman Forever and Moulin Rouge, I have little to say on the matter. But she played Samantha pretty well, at times she almost seemed identical to her. As for Will Ferrell, I have only ever seen him from the Cowbell skit on SNL. But it was probably Ferrell that saved the film for me; simply do to a few humorous scenes involving him.
Michael Caine was in the same sort of role I felt he played in Miss Congeniality, definitely not up to the standards he gave in Batman Begins. The only other actor I feel I must mention was Steve Carell who appeared as Uncle Arthur; whom I never remember seeing in Bewitched. But suffice to say his character was so annoying and completely over the top!!
Article comments
1 - Matt Largo
I was really let down by this movie. "Bewitched" was one of my childhood favorites through all of the Darrins. I think that it failed miserably despite all of it's "star power". I thought that there was zero believable romantic chemistry between Kidman and Ferrell. I could pick out the dialogue that was ad libbed by Ferrell. The director obviously let Ferrell run wild with improvisation with mediocre results. I had to work to get through this DVD. It took me three sittings. As soon as I finished it I packed it into the Netflix self-mailer asap and threw it at the mailman. I'd give this four points, one point for each of Nicole Kidman, Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine, and Will Ferrell, just because they exist in the film.