Bedazzled (2000)

This Harold Ramis movie is a remake of a 60's cult movie which I have never actually seen. It's based on the Faust legend where we have a terminally annoying man who is in love with a girl who works in the same office as him but who barely knows he exists. After a humiliating encounter with her he inadvertently casts up the devil who grants him seven wishes in his quest to win the girl over. The set-up in this one results in a film with a very episodic structure. With the central character wishing to be different in various ways which leads him to be reincarnated as a South American drug lord, a man intensely in touch with his sensitive side, a colossal basketball player, a respected writer, and the President of the USA. The fun comes from the fact that the devil has sneaked in a catch to every new persona and this inevitably leads to disasters for the central character and some hilarity for us. And that's the thing, it's actually a genuinely laugh out loud funny movie on several occasions, some standout moments being the over-sensitive man unable to avoid crying at a sunset or the half-witted giant basketball player who can't seem to string a sentence together without saying 'pretty good' while sweat literally pours from his head. Brendan Fraser is key to the comedy here. He puts in a genuinely good comic turn in a role that allows him to play a variety of characters with the help of some amusing make-up.So far so good. But I thought I would devote the whole final paragraph to the actual best thing about Bedazzled and that can be described in two words - Elizabeth Hurley. Honest to goodness, her performance as the devil is so incredibly seductive its bordering on being criminal. This astronomically gorgeous woman pops up throughout the course of the movie in an array of mind-bogglingly provocative costumes (proving conclusively that it isn't just gay men who can appreciate excessive costume changes). Hurley puts in an extremely sexy performance without stripping off at all which was quite an achievement all things considered. I really like girls with English accents and Hurley's posh voice was simply the icing on this particular cake for yours truly. She isn't a gifted actress but she does all right with comedy roles and this one, needless to say, suits her down to a tee in every conceivable way. Despite its other good qualities, if you made the decision to watch this film for the sole reason of watching our Liz in full throttle, I would understand.

I haven't seen the 1967 original version of "Bedazzled", so I can't compare this 2000 version re-make to the original. With that in mind, I can say that this 2000 version is actually a fun and entertaining movie.The story is about Elliot (played by Brendan Fraser) whom is an overlooked guy desperate for attention and acceptance. When he runs into a very charming woman, who turns out to be the Devil (played by Elizabeth Hurley), he is given 7 wishes by trading his soul to the Devil. Can Elliot manage to find happiness, love and respect through his wishes? What works for "Bedazzled" is the hilarious situations that Elliot ends up in through means of his wishes, as the Devil tends to put a wicked twist on each wish, resulting in something other than what Elliot had hoped for.The cast were doing their part to make the movie work. And the two lead parts as played by Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley had great chemistry together and they both lifted up the movie quite well. Brendan Fraser was well-cast for the role of a dweeb character. While Elizabeth Hurley was no menacing Devil, she sure had the charm and sales pitch to pull off the role. And the supporting cast of Orlando Jones, Paul Adelstein and Toby Huss were also hilarious in their various roles throughout the movie.Director Harold Ramis had a great sense of comedy touch and "Bedazzled" bears witness to that quite well."Bedazzled" is a fun movie and a movie that can be watched more than once. I am rating it a solid six out of ten stars. If you enjoy comedies, then "Bedazzled" is worth sitting down for 93 minutes to watch.

For most people, the conversation goes like this... 'Have you seen Bedazzled?' 'No, what's it about?' 'It's got Liz Hurley in it.' That would be where the conversation normally ends. It's fair to say that Ms Hurley is hardly known for her acting abilities. And good reason for it. Yes, she's a pretty face, but her looks don't always translate to talent on screen. However, in Bedazzled, she doesn't come off too bad. No, no one ever said that her failing to win an Oscar for her role as the devil was a travesty, but the whole package is watchable enough if you're in the mood for something lightweight and frothy.Brendan Fraser is the star – playing a socially awkward geek who's desperately in love with a girl he works with. Naturally, he has no chance, until Ms Hurley (or the devil, but without the trident and horns) shows up and offers him seven wishes (for the minor price of his soul). He accepts and we're treated so a kind of extended clip show of what his wishes would be like. Of course, by dealing with the devil, nothing really goes how he would like.It's hardly deep and meaningful. Every time Fraser makes a wish, the devil makes it go wrong. Rinse and repeat. Yet it's still pretty good fun to watch. Fraser is as good as he ever is and naturally endearing for the role. Hurley still struggles to portray real emotion, even with the limited script she's given, but this is truly a case where her looks win us over. She really looks like the devil (might, if the devil was a hot woman) and so can be forgiven for her acting shortcomings.If you're in the mood for something daft and reasonably amusing to watch together on the sofa, this is definitely worth an hour and a half of your time. I wouldn't say buy it on Blu-ray and keep it forever, but if you're in the right frame of mind, it's not a bad way to waste time.

This film is one of my guilty pleasures. You know, one of those films that you shouldn't really like but actually do. I guess it helps that I've always had a bit of a thing about Liz Hurley and her role here as the devil suits her perfectly, and her limitations as an actress don't really matter here.The other main character and another good looking woman is Frances O'Connor as Alison. She's lovely and a great actress here. In addition, Orlando Jones, Paul Adelstein, and Toby Huss play a variety of characters very nicely.Brendan Fraser holds the whole thing together. He plays nerdy Elliot, who works with Alison though he is invisible to her. He says he would give anything to have her as a girlfriend. This is an invitation for the devil to offer him seven wishes in exchange for his soul... as long as he signs the contract.There follow five very funny cameos where Elliot takes different personas in order to win Alison. Each is doomed to end in failure. He asks to be (1) rich and powerful, (2) emotionally sensitive, (3) a famous athlete, (4) intelligent, witty and well-endowed, (5) President of the United States. Every scenario has a twist that he did not expect. The devil gives Elliot misleading advice in her own cameos between these scenes.Some reviewers have compared this version unfavourably to the Peter Cook & Dudley Moore version. It's best not to compare them. The films are sufficiently different to enjoy each one in its own right.There are many scenes here that are laugh-out-loud, even on a repeat viewing. If there's a weak point it's the final half hour. Yes it does sort of tie the whole thing together but the pace slows and it tries too hard for a 'happy ever after' finish. Maybe a darker ending would have been better. But overall, great fun, great dialogue and great acting.