The Brendan
Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley fun 2000 movie Bedazzled is based
on a cult classic of the same name from 1967, starring the acting duo Peter
Cook and Dudley Moore. The movie is inspired by the Faust legend, with a
significant twist.
The original isn’t half bad, and the journey it takes is very different from
the Brendan Fraser version. I saw the 2000
remake first, so I was cautious going into the original, expecting to
either hate it or completely dislike the newer version.
To be honest, both movies, for me, are just different sides of the same story.
The plot is
simple. In this 1967 version, Stanley Moon (Moore) is in love with Margaret
(Eleanor Bron), a waitress at the restaurant where he works as a chef. This
love story is similar to Fraser’s Elliot being in love with his coworker
Allison in the remake.
Moon has never been able to say a word to Margaret, and even when he summons
the courage to say hi, he never manages to finish a sentence that ends with,
“Can we go on a date?”
One day in church, he prays to God for courage, but even after that, he still
can’t muster the guts to ask Margaret out. He decides life isn’t worth living
and that killing himself is the best option. He leaves a love note for her, but
his suicide attempt fails, and the devil (Peter Cook) shows up.
At first, the devil seems like a crazy person, and his first trial wish is so
odd in how it comes true that Moon is convinced the man before him is a
lunatic.
Then, the devil snaps his fingers, and they vanish, reappearing in his office.
Now, Moon believes. The devil offers him a contract to sign, promising seven
wishes in exchange for his soul.
The movie then
takes a comedic turn, with Moon making wishes and trying his best to outsmart
the devil. But none of the wishes work out the way he hopes, and he always
loses out in the end.
Even when he tries to be extremely specific about what he wants, the devil adds
tiny twists to ensure his wishes never turn out well.
In the end, Moon
discovers that the devil is playing another game with God, trying to get back
into heaven, and Moon is just a pawn in the process.
It’s a good movie—not as funny or exciting as the 2000
remake—but the way it ends puts it on par with the newer
version.
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