Rating: Summary: Bridget Jones Diary Review: This dvd was highly enjoyable and I especially enjoyed the director's comments feature. While I know that there are certain characteristics that parallel Pride & Prejudice, this movie should be enjoyed based on its own merits. Colin Firth who portrays the Mark Darcy, acts this role with much less stiffness than the original Darcy role. He smiles a great deal more, has silly clothing props which just make him that much more attractive. Bridget does not exude the confidence that Elizabeth Bennet of P & P did. You feel that you can relate to Bridget's insecurities. She tries very hard to be witty and charming. But what ensues is that the harder she tries the more difficult and elusive it becomes for her. Renee Zelleger has a look that translates well with the guileless "singleton"in which she does manage a few rare witty moments. The book translates well to the movie, but I don't recommend the soundtrack as one of the best songs (Someone Like You) is not sung by Van Morrison on the c.d. Hugh Grant does a great job of portraying the shallow good-looking love interest. Embetz Davidson (she portrayed the kind-hearted teacher in the Matilda film) plays Natasha (Mark Darcy's girfriend/collegue) who seems to view Mark as a potential trophy husband. If you are looking for lots of drama, you will not find it here. What this movie brings is an everyday type of honesty to us, which can only spawn a great deal of humor.
Rating: Summary: 3.7 out of 5 Review: One of the biggest hits of 2001 and Renee Zellweger's first major hit, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY is a hilarious romance-comedy adapted from Helen Fielding's popular novel. Zellweger stars as the title character, a 136 lb. British woman who has a wavering determination to improve herself; at the same time, she also looks for love with her cheating boss (Hugh Grant) and a far-away businessman (Colin Firth). Zellweger is perfect for the role, and brings frequent laughs and forces at least a smile; also of note is the fact that Grant plays a character unlike his typical film role, and performs the role well. Sharon Maguire's directing is very good as well. The film also features a nifty soundtrack. Sometimes predictable, always entertaining, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY is a sweet, quite likable comedy that makes me eagerly await it's 2004 sequel.
Rating: Summary: Fun movie Review: I thought this movie was lots of fun. Renee Zellweger did a great job of portraying an English single girl and her stumbles through life. The only thing that kept me from loving this film is the excessive use of the "f" word. I realize that is in keeping with the novel the movie is based on, but it still could have been a good movie without it. Otherwise, a fun romantic comedy.
Rating: Summary: There's a Bridget Jones in everybody Review: Based on the book by Helen Fielding, I have to confess I never read the book or even heard of it until after I saw the film! And I loved it. Had to get the sequel, The Edge of Reason. People who read it originally ripped the film to shreds, but I loved both. Considering it was filmed in England, there were a lot of English actresses up for the role, including Kate Winslet, but I'm so glad Renee got the role. And how she ever managed to perfect that English accent, and not let a slip of her Texan drawl through was amazing. The song "All By Myself" is the song/motto that single girls should live by! Heaven knows I've played it often enough! And Bridget's men self help books are well documented in the film, and the scene where she throws them in the bin and then takes them back out again, is very poignant, cos every woman has at least one of those hidden away in her bookcase! In every entry in the book, it starts by listing her weight, cigarettes smoked, and alcohol units, and I would have preferred to see that more often during the film, as it was good in the book. The scene where Hugh Grant first appears is enough to make every girl swoon. Hugh's character, Daniel Cleaver, shows Hugh going away from his usual "good guy" image in films, and moving into the "bad boy" image! Hugh is hardly what you would call a sex god normally but in this film . . . Ding-dong. And the scene where Hugh falls into the water, and surfaces in a wet shirt - well, you could just watch that scene over and over again! Bridget's friends, Shazza, Jude and Tom should have had a film just to themselves, and will hopefully appear more in the sequel. They were brilliant. To think the sales of the "scary, stomach-holding-in pants, very popular with grannies" actually soared after this film! Very scary thought. Mots of the audience will hate Mark Darcy's (Colin Firth) character and love Daniel Cleaver, but your feelings go back and forth throughout the film . . . well, until the finale anyway. The fight between Mark & Daniel is pure hilarious entertainment; backed by Geri Halliwell's "It's Raining Men". A very camp song for a very girly fight. If this is how real men fight, it doesn't bear thinking about! Hugh & Colin do a good job of fighting like a pair of girls - and even that's saying something, as girls could fight better than that - slapping, scratching, kicking and hair pulling. Colin Firth is definitely so sexy in the finale. He's got really nice eyes. There's apparently a mistake while I haven't been able to spot yet. When Bridget & Daniel on away on the weekend mini break together, they're driving along and Bridget's wearing the scarf and sunglasses, trying to look like Grace Kelly. When the scarf blows off, it's supposed to be pulled off by a mysterious hand, which you can see when you go through the scene frame by frame. When Bridget goes to the Tarts & Vicars party, in her bunny girl outfit, if you watch the bunny ears, they reveal her moods. When she's feeling good, the ears are perky and upright, but as it progresses the ears gradually dip down, as her mood gets worse. The extras include Sharon MacGuire's commentary; behind the scenes featurette; Shelby Lynne's "Killing Kind" music video; Gabrielle's "Out Of Reach" music video; deleted scenes and original Bridget Jones's Diary columns. Both music videos have very inspirational lyrics. The featurette shows the woman behind the book, Helen Fielding, and Bridget Jones herself Renee Zellweger. Helen Fielding admits to "stealing" the plot from Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, which doesn't make sense, but then again, I've never had the pleasure of reading that book! And THAT kiss. Everyone knows which kiss I'm talking about. That is the perfect kiss. Nothing could amount or even surpass that perfect kiss! There is a bit of Bridget Jones in everyone, and I can't wait for the rumoured sequel, The Edge Of Reason, which Renee Zellweger is busy putting on weight for - and its all going on her cheeks. I hope it's as good as the first, but I didn't find the book as good as the first. And in the sequel, Bridget Jones gets to interview Colin Firth - but he's already in the film. How are they going to explain that one?
Rating: Summary: Just ok Review: I saw the movie. It was just ok. The plot was silly. It was as if they had the actors and tried to make the story line around them.
Rating: Summary: Renee can do it all! Review: This was my choice for the academy award. Too bad that awards aren't given out for different catagories. This was simply the best comedy in ages.
Rating: Summary: Typical Review: This movie has its charms without a doubt, but I must say I am beginning to become sick of the whole "pretty girl is a clutz, yet manages to charm her way into hearts everywhere". This movie is a decent rental movie, but not a purchase. And since when do "fat" people wear sheer tops that expose their bras? O that's right, they don't, only Hollywood fat people do.
Rating: Summary: Okay, I suppose, but.... Review: Since when is size 12 overweight??? I thought Bridget Jones was supposed to be, well, fat. They made such a huge hype about Renee Zellwegger stacking it on for this role, but if that is what Hollywood thinks is fat, then normal women have no chance at all.
Rating: Summary: I Like You Just the Way You Are Review: When Helen Fielding published BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY, the heroine BRIDGET became a symbol of the slightly overweight, chainsmoking, spinster-to-be that rang such a resonant bell both here in the United States and in England. Renee Zellweger had no trouble mastering a British accent as she stumbles and fumbles her plodding way in scene after scene, yet with each mini-disaster she emerges as the kind of woman that one rarely sees on either the big screen or small: one who is a walking mass of tics and insecurities. Director Sharon McGuire borrowed liberally from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen to update the tale of a young woman seeking lasting love, but having to stumble along the way. Colin Firth, who played Darcy Fitzwilliam in the BBC production of Austen's classic, here reprises--sort of--his role as the emotionlessly haughty Mark Darcy who sees Bridget at first only as she surely sees herself, a lump of undesirable femininity that wears bad clothes. He sees her, he rejects her with the same cutting remarks that as Darcy Fitzwilliam he used against Elizabeth Bennett. Bridget turns to her trio of friends who in their unswerving and funny support very nearly steal the show. Bridget chainsmokes in between binge eating, all the while threatening to blimp out as the rapidly aging spinster that all mothers warn their daughters about should these daughters forget that extra weight guarantees no husband. But Bridget has gumption. She jumps on a stationary bicycle, and despite the many references to her supposed pudginess, still manages to look quite attractive in the many scenes where you can see her legs and butt. Along the way, she begins an affair with her boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), who starts off as the perfect date: handsome, suave, debonnaire, and single. Hugh Grant is the Cary Grant of our age. In most of his films, he is the male second banana to top rank actresses like Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock. With these actresses, he need do no more than set up the inevitable romantic machinery that allows him to meet, romance, break up, and then reconcile with them. He is quite good at that, but it is only in his rare role as the slightly raffish player that a newer and darker side emerges. Grant as Daniel is not evil nor is he particularly vindictive. He is a handsome man who has learned to trade in on his looks for so long that he has never had to look elsewhere for self-confidence. Still, as a counterfoil to Bridget, he is roguishly charming as a man who once betrayed a friend and has had to regret it ever since. Colin Firth as Mark Darcy comes across as the stuffy bear that he is, but it takes Bridget the longest time to recognize that he is the way that he is because of the ways that both she and Daniel are. When Mark tells her that he likes her just the way she is, Bridget's metamorphosis from fake external Playboy bunny glamour to the more substantial beauty that results when one has one's emotional feet firmly planted becomes clear enough to both her trio of friends and to the audience who is not sure whether the stuffiness of Mark or the suavity of Daniel would be the better choice. The choice that Bridget does make is one that reaffirms the validity of common sense romantic entanglements. BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY is a treat on so many levels that when she does make her choice, we can only applaud what to us would have been that same choice.
Rating: Summary: WHAT MORE CAN I SAY????..... Review: COLIN FIRTH...FIRTH COLIN FIRTH...WHAT A HOTTY!! HE PLAYED HIS PART PERFECT...Hugh Grant's role made me not like him even more as an actor...the USER...the movie is uplighting and very funny...I BOUGHT IT AND THE SOUNDTRACK...CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE SEQUEL...
|