HCAU Reviews: Bridget Jones’s Baby Review
Bridget Jones was one of those movies every female member of my family absolutely loved, and every male had to sit perplexed as we women hooted uproariously at yet another of Bridget’s comical blunders (remember the famous ‘granny pants?’). With its reliability of a good giggle, the return of Bridget Jones for a third film had us waiting in excited anticipation, a welcome comeback after a twelve-year absence – and an absence of six for Renée Zellweger. Zellweger herself has been under scrutiny by the media for recent cosmetic work she clearly had done, and while some critics have said this detracts from the classical crinkly-eyed Bridget of the past, I say ‘So what?’ to this. The film is intentionally set some fourteen years later, therefore she is clearly going to have aged, and I think for the better. Zellweger may portray an older woman but throughout the film her younger self is regenerated: she still lives in her cramped flat in London, still works for the cable TV news company (albeit with some younger intrusions) and she is still the same Bridget we know and love.
The film, for me, was laugh-out-loud comedic, harking back to the original movie which was lost on The Edge of Reason, the second film. The classic tomfoolery of Bridget is balanced by the impassive Mark Darcy (Colin Firth, once again demonstrating what a wonderful actor he is), and the playful Jack Qwant (played by Grey’s Anatomy heart-throb Patrick Dempsey). Emma Thompson is brilliant as Bridget’s droll and sarcastic doctor, with lines that make women who’ve experienced childbirth chuckle knowingly. Jim Broadbent and Gemma Jones slip effortlessly back into their roles of Bridget’s parents, as Jones struggles with the wonders of modern technology, aka Facetime, and Bridget’s baby news naturally horrifies her as it turns out she is standing for the Conservative Party in the Parish Council elections: ‘You mean it was a three-way, darling?’ Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson and James Callis return as Bridget’s gaggle of nosy (and sometimes profanity-laden) friends yet alas, the devilishly handsome Daniel Cleaver is no longer with us (or so we think), and he was clearly missed, if the number of suspiciously model-like young women at the funeral was anything to go by.
The film was a realisation of why we loved the character of Bridget Jones so much, physical comedy that had us spluttering in our seats. An injection of modern life has rejuvenated the franchise, whether it be the drunk zorbing scene with Miranda and Ed Sheeran (Sarah Solemani continuing her comedic work on from Bad Education in style), or Darcy and Qwant getting stuck in a revolving door as they attempt to get Bridget to the hospital. It is heart-warming and even the sombre moments are light-hearted. It is more than just a holiday rom-com, rather it is a film to watch again and again and still laugh at. I did!
Picture – http://www.bridgetjonesmovie.com/images/gallery/Bridget-Jones-Gallery-01.jpg