Review of Bell, Book and Candle (1958) by Newt C — 21 Nov 2010

Fun old-school romcom with some magic tossed in for good measure. Is Jimmy Stewart ever not effortlessly charming? For hilariously befuddled aggravation, nobody does it better. Strangely I never found Novak all that alluring in Vertigo, but here I was completely won over.

Great supporting cast, including a very talented cat. As a lover of the animal, it was fun seeing how crucial the cat was to the story. The movie's based on a Broadway show, but I can't imagine getting a cat to do this show every night for a Broadway stretch.

I had to take off a star because it does fall prey to some typical romcom ick, such as making one of the leads have an asshole/bitch for a significant other, having one of the leads do something crappy that's easily forgiven, etc.

But overall a winner. I watched it because a month or two ago I heard someone was looking at it for potential remake purposes. I wouldn't be opposed. There's some strikingly naughty humor in this that could be a lot of fun in a more modern environment.