Bedazzled

Would you sell your soul? If you did, how much do you think you would get for it? Well, Elliott Richards (Brendan Fraser) got seven wishes. Why seven wishes? Well, there's seven days in the week, seven dwarfs, 7-UP, 7-11... Seven just sounds catchier than three.

Who gave him these wishes? Why, the foxiest, sexiest devil (Elizabeth Hurley) you ever saw! Heck, if the devil looks that good, I might just take up evil. (I know what you're thinking. Keep your pie hole shut!)

Elliott is this shy, geeky, unpopular guy who just wants to be liked by his peers (who treat him like dirt). He also has a crush on this girl at work named Alison (Frances O'Connor). He figures the best way to become popular and get the girl is to sign a voluminous contract with the devil, lose his soul, and burn in hell fire for all eternity. (Yeah, that'll work!)

Anyway, something really strange happens (sarcasm fully intended here), Elliott's wishes bite him in the butt. The devil sort of sabotages them--surprise, surprise. He wishes he were rich and powerful--the devil makes him a Columbian drug lord. He then wishes to be a kind, sensitive man--the devil turns him into a wuss. He wishes he were a tall, strong professional basketball player--he gets his wish but comes up short below the waist...and so on.

After making about six wishes that go sour, Elliott begins to see a pattern. (Gee, the devil may not be the straight shooter he thought she was.) God (Eric Dearborn) makes a cameo appearance when Elliott finally hits rock bottom. He gives Elliott some good advice. (He's God. What else would he do?)

The ending has a nice twist to it though, and there is a moral to the story. After all, it wouldn't be a proper God/devil film without some kind of moral. David Newman also wrote a catchy theme song that played during the closing credits.

Brendan Fraser was brilliantly funny playing Elliott and a multitude of roles during the wish sequences. He used different accents, voices, mannerisms and lots of makeup and costume changes--he definitely showed his range as an actor.

Elisabeth Hurley was a knockout as the cunning, curvaceous, flirtatious devil in a red dress. I bloody well liked her British accent also.

The rest of the cast were a well-oiled ensemble that also played multiple characters during the wish sequences.

This is a five-star funny film directed by Harold Ramis, written by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, rated PG-13.

Wish for it!