Bridget Jones - The Edge Of Reason DVD > Reviews > Bridget's back

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Hilarious, entertaining
Disadvantages:	For me, Colin Firth

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

At the end of the last film, thirty-something Bridget had found her man, Mark Darcy, a human rights lawyer (in case she hasn't mentioned it) and that's where we find her at the beginning of this - still in new relationship bliss. Unfortunately, Bridget doesn't have the knack of staying trouble-free for very long, and after a disastrous dinner party and ski trip from hell, she finally comes to the conclusion that she and Mark aren't meant to be. Luckily her job, a presenter for a TV programme, seems to be going well and there is a trip to Thailand - the only problem is that she has to go with her ex-boyfriend, love-cheat Daniel Cleaver, who is now working for the same channel.

Dragging along best-friend Shazzer, Bridget manages (just about) to keep herself out of harm's way...until she arrives at the airport on the way back, where a holiday souvenir that Jude's new man asked Bridget to carry is found to be full of cocaine. Before she knows it, Bridget finds herself in a Thai prison. Will Daniel Cleaver be able to get her out? Or will Mark Darcy come to her rescue? Or is Bridget to languish in prison for the rest of her days?

I was delighted to find that this film was on TV the other night. I have read the book, but many years ago now, and this is the first time that I have seen the film. I was quite expecting to be disappointed; after all, sequels are rarely as good as the original. However, I was pleasantly surprised and spent a pleasurable couple of hours catching up on Bridget's many mishaps.

Before the first film was made, when I first heard that Renee Zellweger was set to play Bridget Jones, I was horrified. Created by Helen Fielding, Bridget is quintessentially British, and the idea of her being played by an American, and one that was as skinny as Bridget is plump to boot, was not welcoming. I could not have been more wrong. In both films, Zellweger does an excellent job of playing the slightly scatty, trouble-prone Bridget. Bridget is well-spoken and just a little bit posh; Zellweger manages to portray this very accurately. For someone who is naturally elegant and poised, she also manages to act clumsy and outspoken to perfection. I don't think Helen Fielding has written any more books, which is a great shame, because I'd love to see more of Bridget Jones.

I also love Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver. Usually playing slightly shy, geeky men, this is a bit of a departure from normality for Hugh Grant. Cleaver is smooth, smarmy and over-confident, all of which Grant portrays beautifully. I wish he'd do a few more roles like this; unfortunately, after Four Weddings and A Funeral, he has been type-cast and it is often hard to believe that he is playing anything other than himself.

I'm not so keen on Colin Firth as Mark Darcy. Darcy is posh, shy and unable to express his feelings, all of which makes for a slightly boring character. Like Hugh Grant, this is quite similar to a lot of films I've seen Colin Firth in: Pride and Prejudice, Love Actually, Girl with a Pearl Earring...and I do actually wonder if he can act at all. In this case, it is not really his fault - he doesn't have a great deal to work with - the one exception being the fight with Daniel Cleaver which is hilarious and they both obviously had great fun doing.

It's a shame we don't see quite as much of Jim Broadbent as Bridget's dad and Gemma Jones as her mum in this film. Both superb actors, they added a lot of comedy to the first film and I did miss them.

The film does stick closely to the book, which I was pleased to see, although I think Daniel Cleaver's role was extended especially for the film. Zellweger's Bridget is very much the Bridget I imagined and the screenplay, written in conjuction with Helen Fielding, manages to express the same humour. I remember laughing out loud while reading the book and I did exactly the same while watching the film.

One criticism that I have heard about this film (and the book) is that it is too similar to the first one. It has been some time since I read the book and saw the last film; as such, this one was very welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I can imagine that anyone watching both films in a short space of time would find them quite similar and probably a little boring - isn't that the case with most sequels though? I personally thought it was a fabulous film and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

I watched the film version, but the DVD is available from play.com for £7.99.

Running time: 108 minutes

Classification: 15