Bernard and the Genie 1991

The film opens in an ancient setting where a man is cornered by a sorcerer after a knife-throwing accident; the sorcerer transmutes him into a genie named Josephus Lenny Henry and traps him inside a lamp for two millennia.

Two thousand years later, Bernard Bottle, Alan Cumming, an ambitious art dealer in London, lands a blockbuster sale worth £50 million for his firm. His boss, Charles Pinkworth Rowan Atkinson, congratulates him, but Bernard’s ethics get him fired when he insists on sharing half of the windfall with the original painters’ heirs. He returns to his flat, only to discover that his girlfriend has been sleeping with his best friend, and she leaves behind a trail of empty rooms and a single ornate lamp.

He tries to clean the lamp, and an explosion blasts him into the hospital. When he returns to his flat, a mysterious man appears and tries to kill him. In the heat of their struggle, Bernard wishes that the intruder could speak English, and the man instantly does. The intruder introduces himself as a genie who had lived in the lamp for two thousand years, with the power to grant almost any wish. The moment he appears, the genie speaks the iconic line: > Your wish is my command

What follows is the beginning of an unusual friendship. Bernard and Josephus explore a modern world that feels almost magical to the genie: new foods, music, and entertainment that spark a flurry of experiments in wish-fulfillment. Bernard uses Josephus to decorate his flat with opulent furnishings and even conjures an authentic Mona Lisa, a masterpiece whose sudden appearance triggers intrigue and misfortune as it disappears from the Louvre.

The cautionary line between whim and consequence becomes clearer after a reckless night out. Bernard returns home to find a crime scene vibe in the flat; a struggle ends with the accidental death of a police officer, and a detective immediately suspects Bernard of theft and murder. Pinkworth reappears, and Bernard is arrested. In a surreal turn, Bernard tries to reach Josephus by telephone from the jail, but the genie cannot figure out the device at first, and he repeatedly hangs up rather than answering. The police interpret this as coded communication, and the two end up sharing a jail cell.

Desperate to fix the mess, Bernard makes a wish for a second chance, and the genie grants a rewind—time travels back to just before Bernard enters the flat. In this rebooted moment, the scene unfolds differently: the Mona Lisa is not an alibi for a crime, a Kylie Minogue poster decorates the wall (shifting the mood away from scandal), and the detective’s assumptions begin to crumble. The reversal allows the pair to test a plan that emphasizes restraint and moral use of magic rather than reckless extravagance.

As a fresh arc unfolds, Bernard and Josephus decide to use their powers for more than personal gain. They grant wishes for children at a local mall, sending small wonders into the everyday routine of ordinary people. They also bring a rare London snowfall, which changes the city’s atmosphere and mood, and they strategically expose the flaws in Pinkworth’s harsh corporate world. The plan culminates in a televised moment where Pinkworth’s immense fortune is redirected to a charitable cause, drawing gratitude from those who have benefited and leaving him emptied of his wealth and dignity.

Meanwhile, Josephus reflects on the origins of Christmas itself, claiming to have known Jesus, and offers a contemplative, sometimes wry perspective on how the holiday has evolved into a commercial spectacle. The two partners discover that generosity can be a greater force than mere wealth, and they begin to shape a shared vision of how wishes should work in a world still learning to live with magic.

Yet every use of power bears a price. When Josephus expresses a desire to return to his own era, Bernard hesitates, and a quiet, poignant farewell unfolds. In a moment of ambiguity, Bernard mutters a wish that unintentionally sends the genie away. Left alone with a sense of longing, he clutches a ticket to the shopping centre where their earlier wishes took shape, and, as he looks toward a Santa figure, a small kiss from the crowd seems to acknowledge a possible future—one where magic has taught him empathy rather than control.

The film closes with a gentle echo of its opening: the same tense moment when Josephus was first cornered by the sorcerer, but this time the genie negotiates with a practical counteroffer, pulling out a thick-slice toaster as a playful symbol of a modern, grounded magic. It’s a final wink that reorients the story around responsibility, redemption, and the idea that true magic may lie in how we treat others.

The narrative threads blend humor, wonder, and a soft critique of consumer culture, inviting viewers to consider what they would wish for if they were truly given the chance—and how a single, well-timed wish can alter not just a life but an entire city. The film./end