Bernard (Paapa Essiedu) is a workaholic and it’s affecting his family life. Missing his daughter’s birthday is one step too far for his wife Julie (Denée Benton). In an attempt to win back his family in time for the holidays, Bernard enlists the help of a genie named Flora (Melissa McCarthy).
Let’s get one thing straight – the main reason why I wanted to watch Genie was because of Richard Curtis. The man behind Four Weddings and A Funeral, Love Actually and About Time is back was back! While the film was far from brilliant, I have to say I liked it more than I thought I would.
Taking place in New York City, down on his luck Bernard is instantly relatable. You want him to win back his family even when he makes questionable decisions. The story picks up quickly, especially when Flora is introduced and the two embark on quite the journey together. McCarthy has the tendency to annoy me so I was surprised to find that that wasn’t the case in this film.
While it was entertaining enough, there was still a lot of room for improvement. The way in which some of the scenes were shot was questionable. For example, the birds’ eye view of the city looked like a miniature village and seemed cheap as a result. I also found the whole Mona Lisa picture swap storyline unnecessary. It’s like they were trying to fit in a whole bunch of obstacles for Bernard to overcome when it could have gone in a more reasonable direction.
I was on the fence about watching Genie and yet I’m ultimately glad that I gave it a shot. it had some rather enjoyable moments and I appreciated the Christmas vibes that went along with it. I probably won’t remember much about it in week’s time, but that’s okay.
Rating: ♥️♥️.5
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