Bedazzled
The Devil: How would you like to make one simple decision that’ll change your life forever?
Elliot Richards: Ok, I’m glad scientology works for you but…
Harold Ramis is the man responsible for creating cult films like “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day.” Although (perhaps) “Bedazzled” isn’t in the league of those films, it’s still a very charming (and mildly romantic) comedy.
By the way, “Bedazzled” from 2000 (a quite “fruitful” film year, you’ll agree) is actually a remake of the film of the same name from 1967. The plot is simple and charming.
Meet Elliot Richards, a good-natured (and overly zealous) nerd who works a hopeless and meaningless job at an IT company (yes yes, it seems the situation was like that 20 years ago in the IT sector 🤣). He has no friends, and colleagues at work avoid him and secretly mock him. He has a crush on Alison (a coworker), but doesn’t have the courage to ask her out. One evening at a bar, he experiences a situation where colleagues “bail” on him while he was trying to chat with Alison (and confirmed that she’s not even aware they’ve worked together for years). Aware of his situation, he says more to himself from the depths of his soul “Lord, I’d give anything just to be with her…”
Boom! A beautiful, mysterious girl appears who says she can fulfill all his wishes. Moreover, she’ll offer him seven wishes, without asking anything special from him… just a little thing… and that’s his soul. So be careful what you wish for, it might come true… and in Elliot’s case, in “fulfilling wishes” the Devil himself will help him!
Elliot is, of course, a bit suspicious, because when he jokingly said he wanted a Big Mac and Coke, she took him by bus to a nearby McDonald’s to order a Big Mac and Coke… which Elliot ultimately had to pay for. However, a bit later Elliot was convinced she really is the Devil (she was very convincing, but not in the way you think), and finally signed a contract with her. And moreover he got a pager where he can type “666” if he wants a new wish.
Now, that “wish fulfillment” I earlier deliberately put in quotes. For some reason, it seems the Devil subtly sabotages each of Elliot’s wishes, meanwhile playing innocent, although all of Elliot’s wishes revolve around being with Alison.
For example, when he wished to “be rich and powerful and married to Alison,” the Devil turned him into a Colombian drug lord whose closest allies want to betray him, and moreover his wife despises him and is cheating on him with an English teacher! 🤣
Ok, the Devil has now clearly made it known to Elliot that he didn’t specify that the wife should love him. Elliot is a bit frustrated by that “loophole,” but fine.
“I want to be the EMOTIONALLY most sensitive person in the world.” Ok, women love sensitive guys. Except the Devil made him so emotional that he bursts into tears every time he sees a sunset, which so annoys Alison, because she wants some rough and superficial man…
“I want to be a basketball superstar!” Ok, there can’t be any mistakes with this, right? He’s taller than Yao Ming, the best basketball player in the history of the sport, shoots three-pointers from the entire court and personally scores 85% of his team’s baskets. Well, he has a low IQ (and limited vocabulary), but what does that matter, because if he’s so huge, everything must be huge, you understand… Just as he awakens Alison’s interest (who’s now a reporter) and she visits him in the locker room while he’s alone, wearing only a towel. The towel falls, when suddenly…
“Oh no, now I know how! I want to be intelligent, charming and very attractive!” The Devil turns him into a gay man (without him finding out immediately, don’t ask…).
“I want to do good! I want to be President of the USA!” The Devil turns him into Abraham Lincoln, the night before the assassination.
Elliot, visibly annoyed, accuses the Devil of deliberately sabotaging every wish and chance for happiness, to which she accuses him that he’s never precise in formulating his wishes. After a brief argument, it’s quite CLEARLY made known to Elliot that he’s concluded a contract with the DEVIL and must choose his last wish, and after that, he loses his soul.
Elliot is desperate and tries to find a way to save himself, and along the way also to question himself about what he truly wants.
And whether Elliot can win Alison with the right wish, you’ll find out if you watch the charming “Bedazzled.”
Although it’s not a masterpiece, there are quite a few reasons why this is a very charming film worth your time.
For starters, the film’s main duo.
The brilliant Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy,” “George of the Jungle,” “Doom Patrol,” “The Whale”) is definitely the film’s star. We see his hero from a lost cause who slowly matures as a person through his wishes and constantly questions himself and what it is he truly wants. And moreover, his transformations are hilariously comedic, yet (psychologically) diverse, which truly confirms how good an actor he’s (always) been.
But Elizabeth Hurley as the Devil… my God, I think the Devil has never looked as sexy as in this film. Always in some tight-fitting clothing, she really distracts you. 😁 And in combination with a British accent… simply, incredibly (exaggeratedly) sexy, charming and witty, which was the (and successful) intention of the film.
Simply, from the very start it’s clear to you that there was great chemistry between these two during filming (here you can also read how Elizabeth truly experienced Brendan as a person), and it seems they had fun on set. Moreover, Elizabeth stated just last year how she’d love to do a sequel with Brendan and “torment him again as the Devil.”
The visual-musical element is appealing, but definitely isn’t the film’s star (most of the “graphics” were spent at the very end of the film, when the Devil briefly shows her true form).
The plot is simple, but still has some depth, because the film tries (in a comedic way) to tell the story of Faust.
Elliot isn’t, in principle, greedy. He simply yearns for Alison’s love and almost all wishes are oriented around her as the central figure. But at one point he starts wondering what it is he truly wants and what a person needs for happiness. As well as what’s needed for a person to (figuratively and literally) save their soul. But it also shows what a lonely and misunderstood soul is (of which there are more and more today), and how society shouldn’t (immaturely) mock such people, but should embrace them and give them a chance to prove themselves (as we see at the end in Elliot’s transformation).
Likewise, “Bedazzled” shows that (perhaps) there exists some higher power that, in the end, judges and rewards (or “rewards”) us for our decisions.
All in all, “Bedazzled” is one of those charming (classic) comedies that doesn’t have a “wow” effect, but has some charm and appeal in its attempt to depict Faustian challenges. And moreover the leading acting duo is brilliant in their roles.
And what is your deepest wish, dear reader? 😊
Trailer | Imdb | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic
Release Date: 2000 | Format: Film | Runtime: 93 minutes
