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Bridget Jones's Diary Customer Reviews (28 - 30 of 59 Reviews)
A Feel Good Movie Wonderfully Cast
This is a wonderful gem of a movie. Based on excellent material in the first place - Bridget Jones' Diary (the book), which in turn is loosely based on Pride and Prejudice to some degree - its near perfect casting ensures its place as a romantic comedy classic. From the leads to the bit players, even the seemingly unbelievable, such as Bridget's mother, are entirely plausible. The main characters are rendered with somewhat more depth than is the case for most romantic comedies; for example, raffish though Hugh Grant's character is, he is not such a stereotypical rogue that he does not feel badly about hurting Bridget, even before realizing how much he cares for her. Colin Firth is a particular triumph and plays off Zellweger remarkably well - they're an unlikely enough combination to add just the right amount of interest and tension, yet not unlikely enough to make the outcome unbelievable. Mark Darcy's transformation is one of the more interesting elements of the movie. It's puzzling that Firth hasn't risen to leading role status more prominently, though this may be due more to his own choice of parts than anything else. Few actors are more artful at innuendo and the use of facial expression and body language than Firth; no jabbering on is required to understand his characters' struggles and true feelings. When playing smoldering (i.e., masculine) repressed roles he's at his finest. This is a "feel-good" movie with the happy ending so many long for during challenging times and the holiday season. With so many engaging and quirky characters, it pulls its happy result off in a way that makes it far more interesting than is usual for its genre.
Lighthearted Fun!
Bridget Jones's Diary is full of wonderful lighthearted fun. I enjoy every minute of watching it. The cast is wonderful. By the end of the movie I have definitely fallen in love with Mark Darcy played by Colin Firth. And Renee is so adorable; it is hard to imagine any one would dislike her in this movie unless they have a fixation on appreciating only the beautiful people. Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleever is irresistible - he has me convinced that sometimes women would fall for the bad boys. Colin Firth is magical. With very little appealing material to work with, playing a "dreadful cold fish", he has subtly shown Mark Darcy's kindness and charm that gradually wins everyone's heart. I cannot get enough of these scenes, which have him in it. In my opinion, they should give this nice boy more camera times - that's the only complain I have about this movie. I also have to congratulate the whole production team for successfully creating a movie of such weightless fun, and at the same time being honest and sincere to the human emotions. It is very hard to believe that this movie is Sharon Maguire's first one.
I never read the book. So, it is safe to say that my observation is not biased by any experience from reading the book. If you wish to have some fun and also like to dream a little bit, this is definitely the movie for you.
Funny, but not perfect. Give Colin Firth's acting a chance!
I've seen this movie four times, and also read the novel. The movie captures the spirit of the book without replicating it. THis is not a perfect film, as becomes obvious during subsequent viewings, but the director shows definite promise in her execution of some understated scenes.
Basically, the story follows the misadventures of it's disaster prone heroine over the course of a year. She also forms relationships with her attractive, scoundrel of a boss and a reserved barrister, who was a childhood playmate.
Renee Zellweger is so adorable it's easy to overlook her superb and wholehearted acting. Her chemistry with Hugh Grant was palpable. Hugh Grant (not my favourite actor) has never looked better, and his sexy cad dominates Bridget's playing field so totally in the first half that I didn't know how the boyfriend switch could convince.
I needn't have feared, because CF's slowly revealed perfomance was one of the highlights of the second half. It was a testament to his skill and control that he managed to efface himself when required, especially against Hugh Grant's flamboyantly funny performance. The rest of the cast couldn't be faulted.
The Mark/Bridget relationship was let down by poor scripting in the final minutes. What a shame that their beautiful, delicate connection, so exquisitely portrayed in the dinner party scene, was wasted by inane dialogue, silly partings and reunions, and a contrived Hollywood ending!
Another problem I had with the film was that excessive use of obscenities, which sometimes took the place of dialogue. The film also tends to saturate scenes with syrupy music, which is a common and very annoying failing!
All in all, this was a mostly very funny film. A few people have said that Renee Zellweger should have ended up with Daniel but I VEHEMENTLY disagree! Sure, he was sexy, but he cheated on Bridget and on his American girlfriend, betrayed his best friend and blackened his character to boot, and showed no sense of decency whatsoever! I am glad that Bridget finally found some self-respect and left him behind. She would have looked totally stupid and unworthy of our liking if she went back to Daniel.
Some people have also criticised CF's acting. I can understand this because his acting is so delicate it can be mistaken for woodeness. His style has always been to let the audience discover his character rather than hitting them over the head with it. His every gesture carries significance, and he says everything that needs to be said with a look, as when he wordlessly and eloquently declares his love for Bridget at the dinner party. This scene gave me goose pimples!
Mark Darcy in the book was a dashing, romantic prince figure, but not very realistic. Colin Firth infuses him with vulnerability ,loneliness and much sweetness behind the stiff exterior. Give his acting a chance, and you might be surprised!
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