updated: 17/01/2005
Elliot Richards is a nerd and a doormat who is despised by his colleagues. He is smitten with high-flying Alison (Frances O’Connor) but can not summon up the nerve to approach her. A deal with the devil may solve his problem but, as always there’s a catch (or in this case a series of catches). He finds himself involved with a series of alternative Alisons but in each case his situation falls short of his dreams: the South American drug baron’s wife is having an affair and his men are planning a coup; the hippy beach girl is about to leave him for the bully who kicked sand in his face; the journalist is less than impressed when the athelete turns out to be less than well-endowed; the intellectual attracts the blonde socialite but turns out to be gay; Mr Lincoln’s date is at the theatre. The deal is revoked and then he meets Nicole (Frances O’Connor). Miriam Shor also has dual roles.
This movie sadly missed Peter Cook and Dudley Moore and didn’t benefit from the presence of Liz Hurley (did any movie ever?).
Ben Nye Jr, Cheri Minns, and Tracey Lee won a Makeup and Hairstylist Guild Award for their work on this movie: Kate Biscoe also worked on the movie. Tracey Lee was responsible for Elizabeth Hurley’s makeup. Ben Nye Jr was Brendan Fraser’s makeup artist and Matthew Mungle designed the prosthetics for Brendan Fraser’s various characters. I’m not sure who was responsible for ringing the changes on Frances: her makeups were far less complex than Brendan’s but then she was meant to be variations on the same person not completely different people like Brendan.