Tuesday, 13 May 2014

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - 13th May 2014

It's sequel week here at Tuesday Night is Film Night, so get your big knickers on, for the sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary;

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Yes the hapless and sometime hopeless Bridget Jones is back in this bittersweet tale of loves lost and found. The somewhat delightful Renée Zellweger reprises her role as the scatterbrain Bridget whose diary turns over a new leaf as we pick up where the diary left off last time.

Bridget is in love (still) with the dashing Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) however, their relationship starts to slowly unwind as personalities clash and assumptions are made about others who seem to be getting a bit too close. Matters are made slightly worse by the reappearance of Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) who had discovered Bridget's big knickers in the previous film.

All this loosely leads, via various plot twists and amusing anecdotal scenes to Bridget and Mark parting company and Bridget and Daniel working closely together. Stir into the mix some drug smuggling, a spell in a Thai correctional facility and the imminent reaffirmation of Bridget's parents marriage vows, then you get a delightful romantic comedy from the pen of Helen Fielding, again breathing life into the mundanities that class as the life and loves of one Miss B. Jones.

Moving away from the detail of the story, as this is not so important here, what we have with Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is a repeat performance of the winning formula that was Bridget Jones's Diary. It would have been very easy to follow up the original with a sequel that was just cashing in, but this sequel does not do that. It picks up where we left Bridget and continues that journey, yes in the same predictable manner, but it's still fresh, funny, touching and entertaining. This is due in some part to the wonderful writing of Helen Fielding, allied with the outstanding performances of Zellweger, Firth and Grant. It is fair to say that Hugh Grant plays Hugh Grant, in so much as the character of Cleaver is Grant and vice verse, but you couldn't really pick anyone better for the role. Also Colin Firth again plays a fairly straight laced , stiff upper lip English character (see Love Actually for instance), but again this is the ideal persona for the forlorn lover of Bridget.

Other notable characters to pick up on are Jim Broadbent as Bridget's father. Broadbent is just a sublime actor bringing to life the dourest of characters, unfortunately underused in this sequel. As is Celia Imrie, who had the briefest of appearances, which is such a same for such a wonderful actress. Jeremy Paxman even makes a cameo appearance, possibly having more dialogue than poor Celia. At the end of the film we are treated to an appearance of the pre-Midsomer Murders Neil Dudgeon as a nameless taxi driver. Some other bit parts go to Ian McNeice (Doc Martin and Doctor Who) and Jessica Hynes (The Royle Family and Spaced) to name but a couple.

We would also like to make a note regarding the soundtrack, which as we have said before can make all the difference to the ambiance of a film and here is no exception, some brilliantly chosen incidental music adds another layer of gloss to an already shining film.

There is something for almost everyone within the movie, whether it is the dashing figures of Firth and Grant cutting a swathe across the screen inducing the female contingent to break into synchronised drooling. Or the strangely alluring qualities of Renée Zellweger entertaining the male section of the audience with her cute giggle, making her wobbly bits dance to a delightful tune.

Obviously this film is not going to be to everyone's liking, but here at TNiFN Towers, will do love the romantic chick-flick comedy drama's and this film hits the spot entertaining all members of the household.

As for the scores, it's a thumbs up and a wave of the big knickers from us!

TNiFN Rating 75%


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