Bridget Jones's Diary

I was watching a documentary on the late Dame Maggie Smith the other day that was narrated by the amiable Celia Imrie (herself still awaiting that particular gong) and she brings that affability to this rather dated but enjoyable comedy drama too. It's all centred around the loveless "Bridget" (Renée Zellweger) who hasn't had sex for a while and has the hots for her floppy-haired boss "Daniel" (Hugh Grant). After a few rather embarrassing encounters, they finally do hook up but then she discovers he's a bit of a rake and takes a new job in television working for sleazebag tele-journalist "Finch" (Neil Pearson). Thanks to an incident with a fireman's pole, that doesn't exactly go to plan either, but it does offer her the opportunity to get it together with posh barrister "Mark" (Colin Firth). Now she's known him for a while but took an instant dislike to him at a curry party, so what's changed? Has she discovered a new penchant for striped suits and wigs? I remember reading the book at the time and feeling a certain degree of sympathy with old "Bridj". It was just at the start of the now all-encompassing validation culture when we'd dial 1471 on our land-lines when we get home only to find nobody had called (again) and where office instant messaging was rendering scuttlebutt obsolete as gossip and flirtation became the order of many a professional day. It's that culture of feeling needed, liked and wanted that Helen Fielding encapsulated so well with this character. Hapless, yes, but decent and given a chance - loving too. Zellweger delivers charmingly and enthusiastically, as does in a more roguish form Hugh Grant. As to Firth, I'm never quite sure how much acting he ever actually does anyway, but here his contribution works well too. It does struggle almost a quarter of a century later to resonate - especially the fisticuffs in the restaurant scene, but it still has enough wit and pith in the cleverly crafted and observational script to raise a chortle and be grateful for a series of daft scenarios that poke fun at the whole business of courtship amongst the young and the old. Also, of course, Celia gets to look shocked and amazed as only she can, too.

<em>'Bridget Jones’s Diary'</em> delivers enough, it is fairly amusing and moves along well across around 90 minutes. Renée Zellweger plays a Brit impressively, something that feels quite rare to say about an American actor. She is excellent throughout, particularly for the comedy. I will say that I didn't really sense any proper onscreen chemistry with her and the eventual bloke she lands with (won't spoiler whom), Zellweger had more with the other dude to be honest. Hugh Grant and Colin Firth are in this in those respective roles, no surprise to say they are both good. About time I got this watched, being from its country of origin and all that. I had heard of it for as long as I can remember, it's a popular film evidently. Despite that, the only things I knew coming into this were the lead cast and, eh, the main character's preferred choice of underwear... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oh, and I was also aware of Gabrielle's banger "Out of Reach", which I knew originated from this movie. I didn't, though, know "It's Raining Men" by Geri Halliwell (another tune, don't @ me) also gained popularity due to this. How about that.