Amazon.co.uk Review
As one of many in the ongoing trend of resurrecting old TV shows and turning them into contemporary Hollywood product,
Bewitched tries awfully hard to distinguish itself. It succeeds in lots of surprising ways, not least of which is the star power brought by Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. Even if they don't create the kind of romantic chemistry that would have elevated the already high concept, they act as delightful foils to each other, but more often to themselves. The conceit of this
Bewitched is that it's a self-reflexive look at the entertainment business, with Ferrell playing Jack Wyatt, an actor starring in an updated version of the classic TV show. Out of favour with the Hollywood elite and desperately in need of a hit, he insists on an unknown to play Samantha, as he wants the show to be about
him, since if something doesn't come his way soon, he's going to be hearing a lot of no's, despite the yes-men surrounding him. While his agent gets him the "unknown Samantha" deal, it's Jack himself who discovers his own leading lady in the delightful figure of Isabel Bigalow, who possesses just the right nose wiggle, not to mention other wiggles.
But wouldn't you know it, Isabel really is a witch, and exactly the kind of "good" witch trying to rely less on her magical powers that Samantha Stevens was back in her "real" world. Instead of a cranky mother like Endora, Isabel has a distinguished father, Nigel who lurks around her as a constant reminder that she can't be who she's not, and she certainly can't be the star of some zany TV show. As the plot thickens and the movie's reflexivity grows more convoluted, Nigel falls for the non-witch actress who plays Endora, and Jack and Isabel fall for each other. Here's where the Ferrell/Kidman gel doesn’t quite become aspic, but her perkiness and his goofiness are more than enough to make the entirety of the proceedings a delectable trifle. Director Nora Ephron has fun skewering her own business in the script she co-wrote with her sister Delia, and her eye for quality craft makes everything sparkle as it should. Even if we have yet to see the definitive remake of an old TV show on the big screen, at least Bewitched is well more than run-of-the-mill as so many adaptations have been, and so many will be.-- Ted Fry
Synopsis
Director Nora Ephron (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, YOU'VE GOT MAIL) breathes new life into the classic television show BEWITCHED in this romantic comedy of the same name. Movie star Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) had it all until he made a few bad films and his wife left him. Now, the washed up star is slated to play Darrin in a remake of the 1960s sitcom about a mortal man who unknowingly marries a beautiful, good-hearted witch. Determined to resuscitate his career, Jack and his agent, Richie (Jason Schwartzman), demand that an unknown be cast as the witch, Samantha, in order to maximise his screen time and star power. After an exhaustive search for the right actress and the perfect nose wiggle Jack spots Isabel Bigelow (Nicole Kidman) in a book store and is convinced that she can be the new Samantha. And right he is; Isabel really is a witch who is determined to try life and hopefully love without magic, much to the chagrin of her debonair warlock father, Nigel (Michael Caine). Immediately drawn to Jack, Isabel follows her heart and takes the role only to discover that he has no plan to share the spotlight with her, and can also be a big jerk. Can Isabel refrain from using magic to put Jack in his place and win his love? And how will Jack react when he learns Isabel's secret? More interesting than a standard remake, the screenplay by Ephron and her sister Delia nicely weaves in the characters and basic plot of the original television series while developing a completely new story and characters. Shirley MacLaine stars as a legendary actress who plays Samantha's mother, Endora, in the new television show and just may have a few secrets of her own. Steve Carell has an amusing turn as Uncle Arthur, a character originally played by comedian Paul Lynde.
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