Since last month had the new Bridget Jones movie
released on Peacock, I thought that for this month, I would review the entire
series. Seems fitting seeing how March is Women’s History Month. Let’s start
off with the first movie, “Bridget Jones’s Diary, released in 2001.
Amazingly fresh and funny, “Bridget Jones’s Diary” is a
nice reminder of just how good – and how pointed – British comedies can be. KenHanke said in his review, “In a world seemingly overrun with truly stupid and
truly tasteless attempts at humor in such rubbishy offerings as Say It Isn’t So
and Tomcats (as well as the by-the-numbers blandness of Someone Like You), it’s
a double delight to come upon this sort of genuinely edgy, bright, and creative
filmmaking. Bridget Jones’ Diary is a film in the spirit of My Beautiful
Laundrette, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, How to Get Ahead in Advertising and A Man
of No Importance. In short, it’s an honest-to-goodness piece of filmmaking that
dares to be different and obviously hasn’t been test-marketed into just so much
cinematic cheese whiz.”
Based on the book by Helen Fielding (who also worked
on the screenplay), the film goes over a year in the life of Bridget Jones,
played by Renee Zellweger, a slightly overweight, heavy-drinking, heavy-smoking
book publicist with a liking for embarrassing public speaking and a habit to
say exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. Complicating her already
disruptive life is her silly, matchmaking mother (Gemma Jones), her distracted
and confused father (Jim Broadbent), and so many well-meaning, completely
dysfunctional friends. Unsurprisingly, Bridget’s romantic life is a complete
disaster and looks to stay that way when her mother tries to set her up with lawyer
Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, who looks like a case of wary at first
sight. Instead of speaking with him, she ends up being in bed with her charming
boss Daniel Cleaver, played by Hugh Grant (who looks too good to be true –
which he obviously is). Hanke said, “Generally speaking, the plot is not
exciting in itself — and much as is the case with the recent Someone Like You,
the ending is pretty much a foregone conclusion. (Anyone who doesn’t know with
whom Bridget is going to find true love is in dire need of a
remedial-movie-plot course.)” The difference is that “Bridget Jones’s Diary” comes
to the end with fun, style, constantly smart lines (often very vulgar)
delivered by a completely perfect cast, a true feeling of fun that extends to
its soundtrack (the British feel like they can actually use a pop song
soundtrack that mixes into the film), and best of all, the wonderful characters
whose oddness make them more human than less.
Zellweger was originally born in Texas but she is
completely convincing, charming, and touching as Bridget. Hanke credited, “It’s
a model performance that — perhaps not accidentally — comes off as a rather
more sexy and savvy, yet less cynical, variant of Lynn Redgrave in Georgy Girl.”
Colin Firth has a very complex role that calls for him to appear very humorless
and unlikable, while being anything but that underneath, and he somehow does it
well. However, the disclosure for many is probably going to be Hugh Grant, an
actor best known for showing off being handsome and working his stuttering
charm for everything. Hanke noted, “Basically, there are two ways of using Hugh
Grant to advantage (at least in the dramatic sense). In a successful Hugh Grant
performance, the filmmaker has usually cast him to type in a manner where his
basic limitations — his slightly priggish, seeming lack of imagination — work
for the film (The Lair of the White Worm, Bitter Moon, Sirens). Only once
before — in the little-seen An Awfully Big Adventure — has Grant really been
called on act, as he has here. Cast against type as a thorough scoundrel who
gets by on his looks, charm, and wit, Grant comes through with a nuanced
performance that manages to make you detest him and yet succumb to his charm at
the same time — not the work of a mere personality with a pretty face.” The rest
of the cast is equally fine, but maybe the name to watch is first-time director
Sharon Maguire. This woman is a natural filmmaker who mixes an unsolidified,
vibrant, personal cinematic style with the ability to honestly direct actors
(something a lot of modern filmmakers seem to have overlooked). If this film is
the hit it deserved to be, Maguire is at the start of a career that might go
anywhere.
I remember seeing the trailers for the second movie,
not knowing it was a sequel. Years later, I got the first film from the
library, if I remember correctly, and watched that. This is a very good comedy
that I think everyone should see. Even though the main woman is not British,
give her credit, she did a good job. If you’re a fan of the lead actors, then
this one should be seen by you. This is currently streaming on Max, so check it
out on there.
Look out next week when we look at the sequel in “Bridget
Jones Month.”
