Like the film Elf, this BBC television film written by Richard Curtis could had been an annual Christmas programming fixture. However the BBC have never repeated it and has rather faded away from the collective memories.An early starring role for Alan Cumming who plays Bernard Bottle, a mild mannered art dealer fired by his ruthless, conniving boss played by Rowan Atkinson.At the same time he discovers that his girlfriend is having an affair with his best friend but he accidentally rubs an old lamp she gave him last Christmas and out pops a genie played by Lenny Henry.Lenny's genie owes less to the Arabian Nights as it mixes it up with the Biblical tale of Jesus. The laughs come from the chemistry between Cumming and Henry and the Genie discovering modern life almost 2000 years later as he eats ice cream, fast food, goes to the cinema watching action films.At the same time Bernard's old boss wants to discover his list of valuable paintings and Bernard and the Genie need to be one step ahead of him and the police which requires a dash of time-wimey before it became popular in the re-launched Doctor Who.The film at 70 minutes does not feel too long but concise, it's not preachy which some Curtis films has a tendency to be. It is brisk family entertainment which after 20 years I enjoyed again with my young son. It could had been a contender as a classic.

This film never fails to cheer me out of the holiday blues. In fact, I can think of no other film that so succinctly brings the true message of Christmas to the fore without being preachy or heavy-handed. Alan Cumming is simply adorable as luckless Bernard and Lenny Henry is utterly engaging as the titular genie. Henry's tour-de-force performance as the ancient genie discovering modern delights like Big Macs and action films is a wonder to behold. I am tearing up just thinking of the ending, but this truly is a heart-warming film; (though I don't like using that clichéd term, it really means something in this movie.) Rowan Atkinson may have a thankless role as the rat bastard art dealer, but he handles it perfectly. It was my passion for Atkinson's work that made me look at this film in the first place, and I am so grateful I taped it off A&E those many years ago. This is required viewing at Christmastime.

This is an hilarious take on the classic Aladdin-style story featuring British comics. The two leads handle their roles with the right amount of humour and affection. They're not cloying or raucous at all. My fav scene however, is at the end where Rowan Atkinson's Scrooge-like character has been made a reluctant notable benefactor of an international charity. A television crew is interviewing him on his enormous contribution, and he is forced to make condescending remarks to the camera while secretly seething with resentment inside. It is a superb comic moment, and Rowan Atkinson handles it to perfection.There are other great off-the-cuff moments like where the Genie makes a casual remark about attending Jesus' feeding of the multitude; and Bernard hugs a character for not being dead in an alternate story-line (you'll have to see the story to understand). All in all, a brilliant piece of comic storytelling; made more exceptional by its low budget and television environment.

I look anxiously every year for this unique and truly funny Xmas movie. No one can beat a pre Cabaret Alan Cummings and the superb Lenny Henry. The most enjoyable Christmas movie I have ever viewed.