September 10, 2005
If you remember the 60s sitcom Bewitched, about a suburban witch who marries an ordinary Joe, you'll know it was all down to Elizabeth Montgomery's nose. That little wiggle she did to perform her spells, well, it was tv magic. No wonder that writer-director Nora Ephron's 21st century spin on Bewitched was suggested on seeing Nicole Kidman's delicate little hooter. But can she wiggle it? You bet.
Although Bewitched is a tribute to the sitcom, it certainly isn't a straightforward remake. Kidman plays a real witch, Isabel, who's tired of her unusual lifestyle. She dreams of being normal, ditching the magic and getting a job. What she doesn't expect is being offered the part of Samantha the domestic witch in a tv update of the popular 60s series. Will Ferrell's ego-on-a-stick actor, Jack, is to play the husband and has been searching for someone who won't upstage him but who has that nose. When Isabel accepts, she finds that old habits die hard and that love can weave a spell of its own.
Which is a movie-truth that Nora Ephron has pretty much staked her career on, knocking out When Harry Met Sally and adding directing to writing for Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail . And while Bewitched is as warm and whimsical as the latter two films, it's not as funny or romantic as either of them. But it is entertaining in a light and fluffy sort of way. And it's happily sex-free, Kidman playing the innocent Isabel with a gauche enthusiasm that's enjoyably infectious. The ubiquitous Will Ferrell (Anchorman, Elf, Kicking and Screaming) gets the broader comedy as the ass Jack (or indeed the Jackass) who needs taking down a peg or two. The chemistry between them isn't great though and consequently Bewitched isn't as sweet and affecting as it should have been. Possibly because Ferrell's Jack is more amusing than appealing. Michael Caine pops up as Isabel's dad, a witch with a wandering eye, and makes the most of his now familiar father-figure role (Batman Begins, Miss Congeniality).
Expect the tv series and you'll be disappointed. Expect a classic Ephron romantic comedy and you'll be similarly disenchanted. But expect a funny if fitful film and you'll be happily entertained. And having won an Oscar for her false-nosed performance in The Hours it's great to see Kidman's own conk getting the attention it rightly deserves. Bewitched is ultimately Kidman's film and she displays a talent for light comedy that makes a refreshing change from her usual arthouse, heavy stuff (Dogville, Birth).
If you want some old-fashioned, safe and fluffy feelgood fun, then don't turn your nose up at Bewitched.
Although Bewitched is a tribute to the sitcom, it certainly isn't a straightforward remake. Kidman plays a real witch, Isabel, who's tired of her unusual lifestyle. She dreams of being normal, ditching the magic and getting a job. What she doesn't expect is being offered the part of Samantha the domestic witch in a tv update of the popular 60s series. Will Ferrell's ego-on-a-stick actor, Jack, is to play the husband and has been searching for someone who won't upstage him but who has that nose. When Isabel accepts, she finds that old habits die hard and that love can weave a spell of its own.
Which is a movie-truth that Nora Ephron has pretty much staked her career on, knocking out When Harry Met Sally and adding directing to writing for Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail . And while Bewitched is as warm and whimsical as the latter two films, it's not as funny or romantic as either of them. But it is entertaining in a light and fluffy sort of way. And it's happily sex-free, Kidman playing the innocent Isabel with a gauche enthusiasm that's enjoyably infectious. The ubiquitous Will Ferrell (Anchorman, Elf, Kicking and Screaming) gets the broader comedy as the ass Jack (or indeed the Jackass) who needs taking down a peg or two. The chemistry between them isn't great though and consequently Bewitched isn't as sweet and affecting as it should have been. Possibly because Ferrell's Jack is more amusing than appealing. Michael Caine pops up as Isabel's dad, a witch with a wandering eye, and makes the most of his now familiar father-figure role (Batman Begins, Miss Congeniality).
Expect the tv series and you'll be disappointed. Expect a classic Ephron romantic comedy and you'll be similarly disenchanted. But expect a funny if fitful film and you'll be happily entertained. And having won an Oscar for her false-nosed performance in The Hours it's great to see Kidman's own conk getting the attention it rightly deserves. Bewitched is ultimately Kidman's film and she displays a talent for light comedy that makes a refreshing change from her usual arthouse, heavy stuff (Dogville, Birth).
If you want some old-fashioned, safe and fluffy feelgood fun, then don't turn your nose up at Bewitched.