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Bridget Jones's Diary

Bridget Jones's Diary

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hilarious All-Around Comedy!
Review: Unfairly or not, "Bridget Jones' Diary" received a lot of attention because Renee Zellweger (title character) announced that she would gain (gasp!) twenty to thirty pounds to portray England's most beloved weight-challenged singleton. (It's hard to say it's unfair when the movie's producers kept hyping this part of the movie.)

"BJD" actually deserves plenty of praise on its basic merits -- excellent acting, witty screenplay, and great camerawork. For those who doubt how important camerawork can be to the making of a great comedy, watch how many of the laughs in this film come from the reaction shots rather than the jokes themselves. "BJD" has great writing, but there is some visual artistry in this movie that elevates it to more than a collection of funny jokes.

For example, in an early scene, Bridget confronts Mark Darcy, a seemingly grim, definitely handsome attorney Bridget's mom hamfistedly tries to set up with Bridget. While Bridget hammers on about abandoning drinking and smoking for New Year's (while clutching a cocktail and cigarette like they are life preservers), Darcy's stoic-yet-fuming reactions are priceless.

The plot is pure chick-flick. Bridget is a thirty-something singleton looking for love in the big city. Infected with bad taste in men, she pursues her boss (and office cad), played with gleeful self awareness by Hugh Grant -- check out the glint in his eyes when we first see him, a close-up with Aretha Franklin blaring on the soundtrack. Soon in an ill-advised romance with her boss, Bridget too late recognizes the signs that her boss is not a nice guy.

While enduring the excruciatingly funny torture of her mom's affair with a walking white elephant of a man (the host of the shopping network), Bridget decides to be her own woman. Breaking out on her own, despite some unfortunate slips of the tongue during job interviews, she finds herself marching to her own tune and eventually occupying a dream space -- with Colin Firth and Hugh Grant fighting over her (rather wimpishly, I might add) outside and through a crowded restaurant.

More than a touching romance, more than a journey of personal discovery, and yet so very small and perfect, "BJD" is one of those great feel-good flicks that should be a chick flick, and yet is very much more.

The DVD's extras are also wonderful, including a delightful set of "interviews" with Bridget's former boss in a bar with his succession of inadequate girlfriends. A good DVD for a great film!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Very charming, often despite itself
Review: Bridget Jones has seemed to touch a chord with many people today, who seem to find in her a kind of Everywoman. In the film version of the Helen Fielding book, however, it's a bit hard to see what we're supposed to champion in Bridget at first other than that she's a few pounds overweight (although nothing terribly unsightly) and constantly self-doubting. She's not even very intelligent, as was her direct forebear, Elizabeth Bennett in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE... or is that indeed part of Bridget's appeal that she indeed *isn't* very bright?

Despite the fact that Renee Zellweger hardly porked out for the part, despite the massive PR to the contrary (by normal people's standards, you'd hardly know Bridget was supposed to be overweight if the characters didn't keep telling you she was, and if the director didn't occasionally show her skimpy underwear in extreme closeup, practically with a fish's-eye lens), she still wins you over almost entirely. And the script has some wonderful laugh-out-loud moments. Hugh Grant is very good as her caddish stud of a boss, and Colin Firth gets to play Mr. Darcy (literally) all over again. Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent are also quite sweet as Bridget's confused parents. The only truly weak part of the script, other than Bridget's initial blandness as a heroine, are her cardboard friends, who seem to exist only to be supportive of Bridget and to invite her on wacky debaucheries. They must vanish into a puff of smoke--whoosh!--whenever they step out her door.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: V. V. Good!
Review: I'd fallen completely in love with Helen Fielding's book and was dying to see the ultimate outcome, this movie. It didn't let me down. Renée Zellweger is at the top of her game pplaying the pudgy Bridget and all the rest of the cast turns out to be nothing short of brilliant. I must confess I'm not an easy girl to impress as far as romantic comedies go, it seems as if one's seen them all already, however, Bridget is a big, BIG occasional pleasure for me. DVD just seemed like the natural option for to go to. I really recommend it, the format is good and clean, the extras are really good and you'll enjoy them. As for the movie itself, I guarantee you'll enjoy it even if others of this genre have let you down before. It's smart and witty and done with brains, hard to believe from a first-time director and a thin American playing a pudgy Brit-chick with an attitude.
To be thoroughly enjoyed by Singletons, smug marrieds and everyone in between...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great for Its Genre
Review: Bearing in mind that I am an extremely reluctant fan of the "Romantic Comedy", I can't help but love this movie. Sure it's sappy at times, but more often it is something I have far more regard for--hilarious. Zellweger plays Bridget perfectly, portraying her awkwardness in a way that makes her loveable and endearing, an anti-heroine for a genre so saturated in Julia Roberts that it is disgusting (sorry if no one understands what I mean by this, but it IS true).
And of course, there is Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth. Firth is by nature perfect for this role, as it was designed for him, and I am afraid I will not understand any woman who does not fall in love with him--or rather his characters, I grudgingly suppose. Hugh Grant's character is of course smooth, but evil, and played suprisingly well by an actor we're all used to seeing fill the role of the good guy who always gets the girl.
All in all, this is one of my favorite romantic comedies, notably for its goofy humor, heart, and of course, its Britishness. All I can do now is wonder if that is a real word.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Picked This Up Trying to Impress My Wife- - Impressed Myself
Review: Picture this, a husband is sent to the store with specific instructions to pick out a movie that both he and his wife will enjoy. After milling through the titles he usually buys(Jurassic Park, Swingers, SlapShot,etc.), he sees "Bridget Jones's Diary" and thinks, 'I think I could stomach this for awhile.'

That scenario actually happened to me, and "Bridget Jones's Diary" caught me totally off-guard. It was hilarious. Zellweger plays the role of loser/heroine perfectly. Hugh Grant is not at all annoying as the womanizing boss. Colin Firth is perfect for the role of Mr. Darcy(he should be, he played the same role in 'Pride and Prejudice,' which I also like). The story does somewhat retell "Pride and Prejudice," but it manages to stand on its own as a top-notch comedy.

Don't write this movie off as a chick-flick. It is both fun and engaging for women AND men. Give this movie a try.

By the way, I ended up enjoying this movie a lot more than my wife. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she loves the real "Pride and Prejudice" so much.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Classy adaptation of English singleton life
Review: 'Bridget Jones Diary' is an exuberant film based on the book of the same name. This hilarious comedy is centered on Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger), a 30-something single woman who works at a publishing company where she has an affair with her boss Daniel (Hugh Grant). This is where the fun begins and from this point onwards, her childhood friend turned nemesis Mark Darcy (played with sarcastic finesse by Colin Firth) becomes hesitantly interested in her but unfortunately because of twisted lies, Bridget is completely antagonistic towards him. The film continues to show that Bridget has two men to choose from: the womanising Hugh Grant or the composed Colin Firth. Which man does she choose? The film is great in confusing the audience while adding extra dimensions by explaining other subplots.

Some people might say that this film is too light-hearted to be taken seriously but it is such a laughter-riot that it makes the viewer remember that films don't always have to be serious and you can laugh and enjoy a film with a top cast.

Zellweger is great in portraying the self-conscious Bridget Jones, Grant = smooth as the arrogant publishing boss and Firth is fantastic at what he does best : the calm and aloof lawyer.

The DVD is not great at all - where are the extensive foreign subtitles that are on most DVDs? But the film makes the DVD shine despite its disadvantages.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Bridget Jones is too easy and desperate....
Review: The movie was okay...but really, I can't help but feel sorry for women who identify with this character. It's so obvious that she's horribly desperate, but what's worst is Colin says to her "I like you the way you are," spends a half hour with him...and then the next time they meet, she changes her knickers and wants to climb into bed with him. Horrible desperation + no self respect. She didn't even know the guy. Is that all it is now? Go to girls in bars and say "I like you the way you are?"

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: something to cry about
Review: my roomate came home on new year's eve last year and found me watching this movie, crying and swilling a bottle of wine. "what are you doing?" she said, almost laughing at me...

it's just the kind of movie a gal can relate to.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Renee is worth it
Review: Rene Zellweger gained a few pounds and added a British accent for this role and she looks great! Very enjoyable film about a woman who is thrust into some bad relationships, including one with her boss he seems to have no respect for her.

Her friends are great. This movie has one of the best ending sequences of any film in recent memory!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Perfect
Review: This is my favorite movie. It's a movie that you can watch a million times and not get bored of.


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