01-30-2020, 09:52 PM
Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001) - my final Christmas movie watch!
I'd always written this movie off as just complete girly rom-com pap, but I have to say that it is somehow more than the sum of its parts...
Renee Zellwegger is and has always been great, and she does fantastic, committed work in every role. It's a large part of the success of this film, where Bridget is equal parts charming and pitiful, girly and empowered, petty and inspiring. She's a much more believable and well-rounded character than we get in most other films like this.
She's surrounded by great supporting players, too, which all make valuable contributions to how we suspect Bridget's view on relationships and the World have been formed. Hugh Grant is incredibly charming and a perfect cad here, although I remain skeptical of Colin Firth. I'm convinced the entirety of his success lies in his height and that he doesn't have one eye slightly lower than the other like almost everyone else if you stare at pictures of them long enough. So... I guess he qualifies as "handsome"? Symmetrical, anyway.
Yes, the film has moments of cloying goofiness that we are supposed to find amusing, but like almost all rom-coms just made me want to get up and leave the screen and never look back. Bridget's adeptly played support group, er, friends are responsible for much of this. Though just as often they're actually quite amusing, and HOLY CRAP is that Moaning Myrtle one year before Harry Potter also playing someone who spends much of her time crying in the bathroom?! Is that being typecast, or what?
Side-note: apparently the UK and US version are slightly different, and the UK has a better credit sequence. Also, slightly more uses of the word c**t, which falls on American ears much more seriously, and I'd recommend THAT version as it makes for a fun juxtaposition in a rom-com.
I'd always written this movie off as just complete girly rom-com pap, but I have to say that it is somehow more than the sum of its parts...
Renee Zellwegger is and has always been great, and she does fantastic, committed work in every role. It's a large part of the success of this film, where Bridget is equal parts charming and pitiful, girly and empowered, petty and inspiring. She's a much more believable and well-rounded character than we get in most other films like this.
She's surrounded by great supporting players, too, which all make valuable contributions to how we suspect Bridget's view on relationships and the World have been formed. Hugh Grant is incredibly charming and a perfect cad here, although I remain skeptical of Colin Firth. I'm convinced the entirety of his success lies in his height and that he doesn't have one eye slightly lower than the other like almost everyone else if you stare at pictures of them long enough. So... I guess he qualifies as "handsome"? Symmetrical, anyway.
Yes, the film has moments of cloying goofiness that we are supposed to find amusing, but like almost all rom-coms just made me want to get up and leave the screen and never look back. Bridget's adeptly played support group, er, friends are responsible for much of this. Though just as often they're actually quite amusing, and HOLY CRAP is that Moaning Myrtle one year before Harry Potter also playing someone who spends much of her time crying in the bathroom?! Is that being typecast, or what?
Side-note: apparently the UK and US version are slightly different, and the UK has a better credit sequence. Also, slightly more uses of the word c**t, which falls on American ears much more seriously, and I'd recommend THAT version as it makes for a fun juxtaposition in a rom-com.
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