Captivating, titillating and an absolutely eye-opening ride of a man's journey to find happiness with some help from a "hot as hell" accomplice. Brendan Fraser is a one man show and Liz Hurley provides the eye candy that comes along with an impressive performance as the eloquently devious myth we call "The Devil".
Elliot Richards (Brendan Fraser) is a wimpy, dorky worker at a company in San Francisco. Derided by most of his co-workers and spending his off time alone in front of the television, he wishes he could go out with one of his co-workers by the name of Allison. What he doesn't know is that "The Devil" (Elizabeth Hurley) is right on his tail, and is willing to make a deal with him for his own benefit. She manipulates him by her magical powers to make anything in the world become a reality for Elliot. Knowing that Elliot has a soft spot and would like to turn his life around, she offers him a contract to perform seven wishes on his command if after those seven wishes, he will give up his soul to her. Delirious and desperate, Elliot accepts the offer and his wish is her command. Little does he know of the devil's underhanded ways of turning wishes against him and as Elliot grows more frustrated with each subsequent wish, the more he questions whether this whole experience is really worth his time when he could be doing much more meaningful things with his life. More headstrong and wise than before, Elliot wants to terminate his contract but the Devil is still the Devil by all means, and is she really willing to lose an extra soul on her cumulative list with the kind of reputation and connotations she has gained over the years? Does the devil know the meaning of mercy?
This is definitely a lighthearted feel good romantic comedy that makes you laugh out loud and admire the work of the actors presented on screen. Not only did Brendan Fraser have to perform his role as Elliot, but he also had to devote his abilities to the many other personalities which he wished he would become. I think that people don't give him enough credit for that and it really does stretch his acting abilities despite the labels many people have put on him. Elizabeth Hurley was of course showstopping in her role as the baddest and naughtiest legend out there. From the way she delivered her witty and articulate dialogue, to the way she made the audience melt in envy of her figure and sultry looks, Elizabeth Hurley was the perfect actress to play this role. The special effects were a little bit corny though and the make-up work done on Brendan Fraser for his various character changes made him look, at times, repulsive and bizarre; but I suppose it was done to match the kind of person he wanted to be, despite that strange feeling that nobody would ever want to be with any of those characters, especially Allison.
This film is a typical "be careful what you wish for" tale that questions what most people want to have in their lives compared to what really makes them happy. There is a difference between wants and needs which is taught even in an economics class. Elliot's character is a hopeless romantic, who assumes that the only way he can be happy is with Allison, and thinks that the Devil can grant him his wish without any kind of catches or underhanded tricks from her side. But he completely forgot with who he's dealing with and was hypnotized by the sheer opportunity to make his dreams come true. Lucky for him, he decided to give away his last wish for Allison and so his soul was saved, but you have to give credit to the Devil for making Elliot go through all those unsuccessful attempts of wooing Allison and making him see the light and seeing that you have to "go with the flow" for something to happen and not wait for a piano to fall from the sky. In the end, he became a much more confident and wholesome person with a bit more substance and wisdom to his character and personality. This also draws out the question of the many misconceptions we have toward people with a bad reputation or a stain on their past. Although the devil is perceived to be the source of all evil on Earth, she has taught Elliot a valuable lesson that will last him a lifetime and at the same time, obliterating the notion that all those who are perceived to be a burden to society don't deserve a chance to prove themselves worthy of a place among the rest of us. We need to give each other a chance no matter what unfavorable events we took part in and only then will the goodness in all of us be seen and bloom for all the world to see.
Bedazzled may not be a very recognized film among most movie-goers but it definitely stands out as a funny, intelligent and satirical look at society and what most of us want in our lives based on what ideals society has imposed on us in the past and present. When you want to be taught a lesson, why not get the Devil in Elizabeth Hurley's body to do the dirty work and direct you to the path that would let you see things from a new perspective and appreciate what you already have in life. There is always room for improvement but don't let the things you wish you had, blind you from what you do have in the here and now.
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