Bridget Jones's Diary DVD > Reviews > A big pair of FAT PANTS

Author's product rating:   

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

Advantages:	Believable, very easy to watch, Hugh Grant !
Disadvantages:	Quite short in length (95 minutes)

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Oh!....I didn't realise this had been put on Ciao - over the past week. I had been looking in the top 10 cinema category and found that it hadn't yet been submitted!! I'm quite excited about the prospect of writing an opinion on what can only be described as a wonderful film!

Ok, everyone roughly knows the outline. Bridget Jones is 32, single with a dead end job in publishing. Her diary takes us through the day to day life of a single, very average thirty-something. This doesn't make it dull though! No way! This film is something every female should see - and I guarantee that they will see something of themselves in Bridget (my title gives that something in my life away!!!).

Bridget (Renee Zellweger) is addicted to smoking, drinking and eating - which actually makes her seem quite normal (someone who quite a few of us girlies can relate to!). Her parents hold a Christmas party and want her to hook up with a childhood friend whom she used to play naked with in his paddling pool (!), boring barrister Mark Darcy. One look at the sweater he's wearing puts her off completely!!. Suddenly her life is turned around when her boss Daniel (Hugh Grant, swoon!) starts to give her some attention....watch out for the short skirts (err..belts!).

She develops a passionate affair with Daniel....until she discovers a little secret in the bathroom! She leaves her job and gets a position as a reporter for a news channel. This gives us an excellent performance as she slides down a firemans pole (you'll know exactly what I mean if you have seen this film!). Then she discovers the animal inside Darcy (Colin Firth) who actually becomes quite fanciable at this stage!

Daniel then realises Bridget is the girl for him and you see a dramatic fight between him and Darcy. I won't spoil the ending by telling you what happens, except that it is what you would probably expect but it is actually quite exciting in its build up.

I heard that Renee actually put on 2 stone for the film, but she still looks good. Except that it is a reassuringly normal 'good'! She has cellulite, flabby bits and looks quite plain in many of the scenes! This is one of the first films where I haven't felt really ugly compared to the female stars!!

Hugh Grant unusually plays a bit of a love rat! And actually excels in the role - usually he is a little too sickly!! You will notice several actors in this film who have appeared in tv dramas (Colin Firth being one).

A sideline details her parents' lives.....her Mother runs off with a game show host (he seems to have over-done the fake tan!) who then turns out to be gay! Her Father just sits depressed.

Bridget's friends are a main support in her life - but to be completely honest I didn't hardly notice them, they just added to the humour supplied by Bridget herself! Look out for the blue soup....(!)

This film uses a great deal of cringeable situations for its humour - all of which you could imagine happening to yourself. Thats the film's main appeal....its extremely believable. You could be Bridget Jones! I haven't actually read the book and probably won't know I've seen the film, so I cannot say how it compares. The soundtrack is very good (a mixture of both new & old classics) and Bridget does a good mime to one of the songs....the words really sums up her life at that point!

To conclude...definitely a film I would recommend to everyone. I guarantee that you will laugh at something in this film. I know several blokes who have seen the film and all enjoyed it so I do consider it has wide appeal, it is very easy to watch. I will definitely watch this film again when it comes out on video......if only for the fat pants scene!!! (*cringe*)