BEDAZZLED

US, 2000, 94 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Hurley, Frances O’ Connor, Orlando Jones.
Directed by Harold Ramis.

Some film-goers prefer a good moral to be drawn explicitly. They like a story about human goodness. Others find that this is too much like a sermon. They prefer something more implicit. They like stories that are about the human condition, both good and evil, and the possibilities for redemption. Bedazzled opts for the former, good news for those who like good morals and even good moralising.

The original 'Bedazzled' was a Peter Cook and Dudley Moore comedy of 1968, a contemporary reworking of the Faust and Mephistopheles legend with Moore as the put-upon little man, whose happiness was the woman of his dreams. Cook played a sardonic devil who managed to ruin the seven wishes he allowed Moore always inserting a factor that Moore had not covered. It is impossible to imitate Cook and Moore, so the American director Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Multiplicity) has kept the basic plot and updated it.

And the moral is: you might wish to be wealthy, successful, powerful, sensitive... but, ultimately you can only be yourself and the love of your life might simply be the girl next door. Actually the screenplay takes us a bit deeper than this with a reflection about God's presence and the ultimate good being selfless and self-sacrificing. And there are quite a number of speeches towards the end in case you missed the moral.

Who could replace Peter Cook? The answer is Elizabeth Hurley a rather suburban and naughty devil rather than profoundly wicked. St Ignatius Loyola said once that the Devil could disguise himself (these days, herself) as an angel of light. Could he have imagined Elizabeth Hurley with her devilish haute couture? And who could replace Dudley Moore? The unexpectedly excellent answer is Brendan Fraser who has the opportunity to do several quite different roles as his wishes unfold and very clever and entertaining he is. Australian Frances O' Connor also has the opportunity for a variety of roles as the love of his life.

It's a light-hearted little parable about good and evil.

1.An enjoyable comedy about the Devil and temptation? Its quality as a remake of Stanley Donen’s 1967 original with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore? Comparisons? The satiric tone of the 60s? The entertainment tone of the 21st century?

2.The American locations, the transfer of the plot to the United States? The sophisticated America, the naïve America? A series of exotic fantasies? Compared with the ordinariness of real life, the workplace and ordinary characters?

3.The structure of the film: the focus on Elliott, establishing his character within himself, his unrequited passion for Alison? The appearance of the Devil, in Elizabeth Hurley’s form? His succumbing to temptation? The wishes, the vignettes? The happy ending and his winning, if not Alison, her look-alike?

4.Elliott as bedazzled by the Devil?

5.Elliott in himself, Brendan Fraser’s screen presence, awkward, shy, manners, in the workplace, his watching Alison, her not talking to him, her not noticing him? His being consumed by his unrequited love? Ready for the Devil to tempt him?

6.Alison, ordinary, in the workplace, her not noticing Elliott? Audiences blaming her for this?

7.The Devil and Elizabeth Hurley, her appearance, manner, beauty, clothes? Her comic lines? Her manner of leading Elliott into temptation? The nature of the contract? The wishers – and her ability to twist Elliott’s wishes and leave out an essential element for his success? Her come-ons to Elliott? Enjoying thwarting his wishes? Her not being so diabolical as to be completely demonic?

8.Elliott and his wishes, the American male fantasies? Alison and her different characterisations in each of his fantasies? Orlando Jones and Paul Adelstein in their diverse roles in each of his fantasies? Compared with their presence in his ordinary life? The variations on life themes?

9.Imagining himself as wealthy: the Colombian drug lord – his wealth, charm, everybody worshipping him except his wife who detests him? The next wish with his wanting to be sensitive and caring for his wife – but so emotional, weeping, Alison being driven away into the arms of a macho man? His attempt to become a star sportsman, the basketball player, his skills on the field, but dumb, and the jokes about his sexual possibilities? His next wish to be brilliant, handsome, sexually endowed, everything to make Alison fall in love with him – and the Devil making him a gay writer? His final wish to be president, the Devil turning him into Abraham Lincoln, the night of the assassination? Elliott and his learning experience through all these characters?

10.Only more wish left, his wishing a happy life for Alison? The Devil having to admit that the contract was broken because of his generosity? His hoping for love from Alison, her still not giving him any notice? His noticing the neighbour who was her look-alike? Her going out with him, a happy ending?

11.A variation on the Faust legend, on selling one’s soul? Broad entertainment, the nature of temptation, fantasies, the charm and attractiveness of the Devil – but ultimately doing the right thing and being selfless?