Bridget Jones's Diary DVD > Reviews > Me and Mrs Jones

Author's product rating:   

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

Advantages:	Funny, clever, romantic
Disadvantages:	I'm sure some bloke somewhere will object

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Have you ever written a diary? You know what I mean, not one of those weird planner things, a REAL diary – got out a book and poured all your deepest feelings into the writing on those pages. I know I have, and I have to admit it makes quite comical reading many years later! It's comforting at the time, and it helps to release some of the anger and anguish that can often swirl around inside us and eat us alive if left unchecked.

Bridget Jones' Diary is a film based on a series of books by acclaimed writer Helen Fielding. I make no pretences here – I've never read the books myself, but to be quite honest I'm quite tempted now. Virgin film director Sharon Maguire has taken the story of the books and moulded it into a wonderful story suitable for the cinema. It's hardly surprising that it's a great film - the writers include Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and Notting Hill) and Andrew Davies (BBC costume drama king), as well as the books original author.

- The Plot
So who is Bridget Jones? Well, she's a 32 year old woman working for a publishing firm in London. She's shy, a bit clumsy and flustered (especially under pressure), she 'says things without any thought for the consequences' and, above all, she's single. And she hates this. In fact, from what I can tell, she embodies all the traits women most hate about themselves – she's neurotic, obsessed with her weight, drinks too much, smokes too much, and she also has a rather, shall we say – eccentric – mother, who is constantly trying to set her up with men who inevitably turn out more Richard Madeley than Richard Gere.

Well, one day, after thinking her mother might have actually got it right for a change with Mark Darcy, and him rudely snubbing her, she decides to write a diary, which can help her to be 'more honest with herself'. She will try to cut down on her drinking and smoking, and to put a stop to her crush on her boss. Needless to say, she fails on all three counts, but I won't say any more for fear of giving the plot away!

- The Cast
Renée Zellweger plays Bridget, and she does a wonderful job of portraying Bridget's insecurities and sheer everyday anguish. I know a lot of people were worried whether Bridget should be played by an American – after all, the character in the book is about as English as you can get, but Renée pulls it off brilliantly, and I certainly have no qualms about her playing Bridget, although I don't have the book to reference it to. The way Renée plays Bridget gives an impressive of a normal everyday girl – and this is, in my opinion, exactly what the character required.

Hugh Grant plays Daniel Cleaver, Bridget's small and suave boss, who wastes no time in trying to seduce her. It's quite a turnaround for Grant – worlds away from his usual 'bumbling Englishman' typecast role. And he pull in off well, giving you a real feel of a trustworthy 'sex god', which is exactly how Bridget pictures him.

Colin Firth plays Mark Darcy, the man Bridget's mom attempts to introduce her to. He's quite short, posh but reserved at the same time, and gives the impression to the outside world that he's quite cold and unloving. But, as we know, things are not always what they seem…

The supporting cast is also excellent – with popular British favourites like Gemma Jones (Sense and Sensibility), Jim Broadbent (The Crying Game, The Borrowers, Little Voice) and Shirley Henderson (Trainspotting), the casting is inspired, and you'll be seeing plenty of familiar faces, and while this won't distract you from the film, it's makes it all a little more 'comfortable'.

- More parallels than a railway line
As soon as you read that Colin Firth was playing someone called Darcy, it should suddenly occur to you that, hang on, didn't he play Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice? Well yes, and this would be an incredible case of typecasting, if it weren't for the fact that Helen Fielding wrote the role in exactly this way! So rather than him fitting into the role nicely, the role was actually written FOR him, so it would have been a bit of a crime to have anyone else play him!

And the parallels don't stop there either. In fact they run through the whole story. As well as Darcy - a quite and shy individual who can be a bit rude and offensive, but only really to hide his true feelings (just like in Pride and Prejudice) – we have Bridget Jones fitting snugly into the role of Elizabeth Bennett – quietly admiring Darcy from afar, but quite confrontational when it comes to actually dealing with him. It's more of a tribute than a rip-off though, Fielding is obviously an Austen fan, and she implements it in great style. There's a scene by a lake, and I was half expecting Colin Firth to come marching up in his breeches and dive in! Well, it would have kept the women happy I suppose :)

As well as the costume drama influence (realised excellently by Andrew Davies), Richard Curtis' influence is plain to see, as well as elements of Notting Hill especially. The good thing about the film is that it exhibits traits of other things, while still managing to maintain it's own distinct style and feel, mainly due to Fielding's influence I suspect.

- "Tits pervert, erm - Mr. Fitzherbert"
This film is designed as a comedy film, and it achieves this to great effect. There's little jokes all over the place – in jokes, physical jokes, intellectual jokes and even a few sexual ones too. However, everything is all kept within limits, there's nothing to could be construed as offensive (well, not much anyway!). But most of the comedy comes from the use of the voiceover. While the action is going on, we have Renée doing a voiceover of Bridget's thoughts, so we get to know exactly what she's thinking. As I'm sure we're all aware, the things people think and the things they do are not necessarily the same thing, and this makes for excellent comedy as we see what Bridget REALLY thinks of people, and of what she's doing. It's a hard concept to describe, but just take it from me – it works well. Oh, and I know people have said this before, but let me say it again – stay for the credits. There's some great in jokes there, to keep you laughing!

- 'We got a thing going on…'
It's nice also that the film is not just a comedy, there a bit of romance in it, a bit of despair, and generally genuine feelings that a lot of us can relate to. The closing scenes are especially sweet, and even the most stony-hearted will melt a little. Or maybe I'm just soft (which is likely :) ). The film is essentially a cross between a full blown wacky comedy movie, and a gentle romance like Notting Hill or something similar. And it's a great combination, making you laugh at and feel for the characters at the same time.

- "While the jukebox plays our favourite song"
It's probably just me noticing this, because I love my music, but this film has a brilliant soundtrack. The more alert of you will have noticed from some of the titles of my sections that one of the songs and the soundtrack is the oh-so-predictable 'Me & Mrs Jones' by Billy Paul. Predictable it may be, but a) it's a great song, and b) I thank the powers that be that 'Doctor Jones' by Aqua didn't get on the soundtrack, because I would have had to kill someone as a consequence! But seriously, it's a stunning soundtrack (or at least the songs in the film are – not all of them made it onto the soundtrack album), because it lacks the problems of most recent soundtracks in that it doesn't restrict itself to song that came out a couple of weeks ago. Indeed, the soundtrack includes such classics as 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin, 'I'm Every Woman' by Chaka Khan and 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' by Andy Williams. A great thing is how the songs are worked into the film. The opening credits features a teary-eyed and pyjama-clad Bridget singing drunkenly along to 'All By Myself' covered by Jamie O'Neal (originally by Eric Carmen). Even this scene is quite funny, not because of poor Bridget's lonely predicament, but because of the comedy drunken hand movements she is making while she sings along with a glass of wine in her hand!

- Leave the kids at home
I think it's my responsibility to point out, as an upstanding citizen (cough), that this is not really a film for the kids. There's language (a lot thereof), sex here and there, and a bit of violence too (although that's just a fight in the street!). While this makes us adults prick up our ears and listen (admit it!), it's certainly not what I would think most parents would want their children to see. It's no bad reflection on the film, this is how it was written, and it's why it got a 15 certificate, it's just important to note that.

- Nothing like a happy ending…
Overall, Bridget Jones' Diary is everything I hoped it would be – it is witty, funny, and clever, while having a good slice of romance and emotion at the same time. It shows just what Renée Zellweger is capable of – she looks like a bright prospect for the future. This has all the facets of a great film – a good script, good acting, good soundtrack, and, above all, a plot that holds your attention and keeps you watching throughout. The comedy is free-flowing and abundant, and I found myself laughing out loud in the cinema frequently – something which I'm not prone to do once, let alone repeatedly!

This is a perfectly rounded film, and has taken a great concept from a great author, and moulded it into something perfect for the cinema, and I suspect many people will enjoy it. Certainly, if you enjoy films like Notting Hill, this will definitely be your sort of thing, but this shouldn't exclude everyone else – it has a bit of something for everybody (sorry for the cliché) and I can see this film doing well at the box office. An instant hit.