Mar 19, 2001 08:21 PM
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Brendan Fraser plays a somewhat geeky office worker named Elliot who is infatuated with a coworker a named Allison. Of course, she barely even remembers that they work together, let alone his name. He deeply wishes that Allison would return his amorous feelings, so onto the scene walks the Devil - here played by Elizabeth Hurley in skimpy outfits.
In exchange for his soul, Ms. Devil promises to grant him 7 wishes. His main goal is to have a life with Allison, but he wants a little more along the way. He wishes to be rich and powerful, so he becomes a Columbian drug lord. He wishes to be sensitive to Allison’s needs, so he becomes so sensitive that he cannot even hold a conversation but for the beauty of a sunset which makes him weep. Alas, that is the Devil’s job - to find loopholes in the “contract.”
When he is down to one last wish, Elliot, being the good, kind-hearted person that he is, wishes for Allison to have a happy life. Since this was an unselfish act, the contract is void and he gets to keep his soul. All is not lost, though and he is apparently rewarded for this unselfishness. When he returns to his house, he sees a young woman moving in next door. They hit it off and we are left to imagine that they live happily ever after.
The acting was good and the storyline held my interest throughout. Brendan Fraser played his multiple roles very nicely (ie. the Columbian Drug Lord).
Even though this was meant as a comedy, there are underlying moral lessons here: be careful of what you wish for and sometimes it pays to be unselfish.
