Meet the Devil. She's giving Elliot seven wishes. But not a chance in Hell.
Meet Elliot Richards (Brendan Fraser), a well-meaning but socially inept technical support advisor who is in love with Alison Gardner (Frances O'Connor), a female co-worker. Unfortunately she barely knows he's alive. Desperate to gain Alison's affections, Elliot strikes a deal with the Devil (Elizabeth Hurley) - a lusty, drop dead gorgeous woman with, as he'll soon discover, a wicked sense of humour. In exchange for Elliot's soul, the temptress will grant him seven wishes.
To start, Elliot asks to be rich, powerful and married to Alison. When he awakens the next morning, he discovers he's all that and more - as a Colombian drug lord. No problem, he thinks, because he's got six more wishes. How about becoming the most emotionally sensitive man in the world? Sure, only Elliot ends up a snivelling, drivelling fool. A 229 cm basketball superstar? Elliot breaks all NBA records, but unfortunately his "equipment" doesn't measure up.
Elliot is learning the hard way to be careful what he wishes for. Because the Devil, always a step ahead of him, is dishing up hilariously subversive versions of Elliot's desires, turning each of his new lives into a living hell.
Special Agent Matti
Bemused.
When Peter Cook and Dudley Moore first made this film they played the Devil and his dupe (respectively). If you've never heard of these men or experienced the outrageously lewd, vile, offensive, bigoted, angry and bitter humour they can produce then you are sadly underprivileged. They are to humour as Monty Python is to insanity. If you don't know who Monty Python is (or you haven't seen his Flying Circus), try and imagine a young Eddie Murphy on acid doing stand-up with Roseanne on speed.
Despite their acting ability, Brendan and Elizabeth were hired more for other talents, that is, the ability to look good while not wearing many clothes. They (and Frances, who was chosen for her acting ability before her talent for looking good while not wearing many clothes) work the script as best they can but it's already been through the Hollywood schmooze machine. The Devil is really a nice guy once you get to know him and is just misunderstood. He actually comes to like Elliot and is sorry to see him go.
Don't go getting me wrong, now, Bedazzled is a funny, romantic film that highlights Brendan's skill at impersonation (abs, pecs, etc.) and Elizabeth's revealing wardrobe, it's just that it doesn't have the black edge to it that Pete and Dudley's version does (although a lot of the gags were taken straight from the original).
Beelzebub just ain't a nice guy, which is why Bedazzled's bedevilment bedims the best bedamning. But that's no reason not to see it.
PG (Sexual references, drug references, low level coarse language)
89 minutes (1:29 hours)
VHS rental: 30 May 2001
DVD retail: 13 March 2002
VHS retail: 13 March 2002
