Bewitched film review

certificate_12A

BEWITCHED

Almost by definition it stands that the filmmakers behind Bewitched possess little in the way of innovation. It's why they simply dusted off one of the few remaining old TV series that hasn't been remade for the big screen. But, as if to try and disprove that theory, they have added an original spin. Big mistake. Rather than simply do a contemporary version of the 60s sitcom about a witch who tries to become the all American housewife, screenwriter and director Nora Ephron has elected to make it about the making of a new Bewitched TV series. This twist only seems to confuse what should have been a straightforward fun exercise in nostalgia.

The result is Nicole Kidman struggles amidst an almost permanent fog of bewilderment as Isabel Bigelow, a genuine witch who yearns to be needed and "be like everyone else" and who is picked to play the role of Samantha, a witch with the same desire. "This is very complicated," declares Isabel. She's not wrong. Isabel flits from dumb blonde naivety to smart and manipulative in the time it takes to twitch her nose. But it's a contrast that has more to do with inconsistency of character than magic.

Isabel arrives in Los Angeles hoping to escape her past as a witch and settle into domestic bliss with someone she can "argue about paint" with, though she still resorts to her old ways when she needs things like a nice house and a car. Browsing a bookshop in search of a guide to relationships, she is discovered by Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell), a one-time movie star who is hoping to resurrect his career by starring as Darren in a TV remake of Bewitched. Looking for an unknown for the role of Samantha, Isabel's blank résumé and cute proboscis make her ideal.

When Jack tells Isabel he needs her, Isabel misconstrues this a sign that their relationship might develop into something more than professional. Will Ferrell is still able to trade on his childish schtick for a while yet, which is essentially what he does here as the egocentric Jack or The Jackerator, as he likes to be known. And while his comic talents are never in doubt, one thing Ferrell is unsuited to is the role of romantic lead, which is what he becomes when Jack and Isabel embark on a convoluted and troubled courtship.