Bridget Jones's Diary
    
reviewed by Doug
Schneider While Paul McCartney wondered if the world has had enough of "silly love
songs," I wonder if theyll ever have enough of it in the movies? Not likely.
Bridget Joness Diary is another one of those
cute British comedies in the same vein as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill,
and all those. In fact, it even has Hugh Grant in it. The catch here is that it also stars
an American, Renée Zellweger, who does fabulous job playing the very British Bridget
Jones. Its Zellweger who makes this movie.
Bridget, you see, is alone and not too happy about it.
Theres a wonderful scene near the beginning where she lip-synchs "All By
Myself." She does desperately wants to meet a man, but not just any man. Bridget has
her eyes set on her playboy boss Daniel Cleaver (played against type by Hugh Grant). And
its her relationship with Cleaver, and also another more uptight British gent named Mark
Darcy (Colin Firth), that that this movie revolves around. That said, it wont be
surprising how the story evolves (weve seen it enough times before), but its
how Bridget gets there and exactly what she does that makes for the best parts of the
film.
This is a very good movie that did make me laugh out loud
more than a couple times. In this day of only so-so comedies that alone is enough for a
good recommendation. But what endeared me most to it was Zellwegers Jones character.
See, I once knew a girl just like Bridget Jones. She was a friend who was slightly
overweight, somewhat odd, and perennially drunk -- just like Bridget. This girl dreamed of
meeting the right man too -- not just any man, but the right man, and he worked in our
office. Well, just like in the movies sometimes dreams do come true because one night
while she was in another drunken depressed stupor (like Bridget) her Prince Charming did
come along and they lived happily ever after (or I think so, anyway). Bridget Joness
Diary gets a ***1/2 rating. |