Review – Bewitched

I know I spend a lot of time griping about bad writing. But wow, is this movie ever not an exception to the trend. Indeed, this is a rarity among even Hollywood productions: a picture that was completely undone almost exclusively by its own script. A straight TV-to-movie adaptation of the “Bewitched” series probably wouldn’t have won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, but it could nonetheless have been an entertaining little picture. Nicole Kidman should have had little trouble stepping into the Elizabeth Montgomery role, and Will Ferrell is, well, Will Ferrell. Supporting cast members Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine were well enough suited to their parts. Director Nora Ephron has done funny stuff in the past. So why on earth did they decide to get “fancy” with the story? A nice, conservative retooling would have been just fine, but instead we’re treated to a pseudo-reflexive twist that throws the whole thing off. Our protagonists aren’t a human-witch married couple. They’re a pair of actors manipulating each other behind the scenes in a 21st century TV series based on the original. That she happens to be an actual witch – in addition to playing one on TV – does little to redeem this half-baked excuse for a plot. When “just a simple reheat of ‘Bewitched’ would have been better” is the nicest thing I have to say about a movie, you can bet what they actually made turned out to be pretty bad. See if desperate