Happiness isn't something random, bestowed or guaranteed from following a formula. And the people you may think you'd be happiest to have the life of, probably have things they're none too happy with anyway. It's a lighthearted message from a lighthearted film, which may be too saccharine sweet for movie fans looking for really serious fare. Though I doubt anyone's going to mistake this film for what it really is. Mind you, I'm not criticizing the film at all. It was well paced, fun to watch, had a good laugh here and there, and made me think (even if just a little). Elizabeth Hurley, who I barely noticed before, was delicious in her role as the Prince(ss) of Lies. The role didn't call for serious effort as an actor, pretty much being a caricature role, but she played the devil woman to the hilt and it was fun to watch (she had some of the best lines too). Brendan Fraser's role didn't call for particular depth either, it pretty much just needed someone to gesticulate through the number of different characters he played out in his wish fulfillments gone awry. His bouncy boyish charisma did help keep things light and comedic through all the farcical wishes in which the devil made it clear that you don't really know exactly what you want until you've found it. Some people will probably be offended at the lack of true maliciousness in Hurley's devil's character actually. By the end, however, Elliot gets a different perspective on his dilemma (you'll see what I mean if you watch) and we learn that the universe isn't so much out to get us as it just wants to teach us a few things. And I thought the ending was quite well done.
So, unless you're in a particularly dour mood or some sort of perpetual sourpuss, and you're looking for something lighthearted and breezy, give it a rent.
So, unless you're in a particularly dour mood or some sort of perpetual sourpuss, and you're looking for something lighthearted and breezy, give it a rent.