CORPORATE LINE: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason stars Oscar® winner Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth all reprising the roles they originated in Bridget Jones’s Diary. In this follow-up to the worldwide hit, we find Bridget where we left her–blissful and besotted in the arms of gorgeous lawyer Mark Darcy (Firth). Mark is accomplished, supportive and tolerant of (nearly) all of Bridget’s tiny jealousies–why wouldn’t every woman in London, including Mark’s new long-legged, drop-dead, “I-always-say-the-right-thing-at-all-times” intern, want to lure him away from the plumpish, opinionated, sometimes inappropriate Bridget?
With the entry of the leggy threat, Bridget’s pink clouds begin to turn gray as her attacks of self-doubt sorely test her relationship with Darcy. And just when it seems that the waters couldn’t get any more choppy, Bridget’s former boss, womanizing heartthrob Daniel Cleaver (Grant), sails into view. Ms. Jones careens from embarrassing situation to romantic misunderstanding, still managing to muddle through in this continuation of the trials and tribulations of the working woman who has become the symbolic heroine of ‘singletons’ everywhere.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason provides a hilarious and touching look at the answer to the question, “What happens after the happy ending?”
Based on author Helen Fielding’s best-selling novel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, the film stars Renée Zellweger (returning to the role that earned her first Oscar® nomination), Hugh Grant and Colin Firth all under the direction of Beeban Kidron from a screenplay written by Andrew Davies, Helen Fielding, Richard Curtis and Adam Brooks. It is produced by Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, and Jonathan Cavendish; it also stars Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Jacinda Barrett, Shirley Henderson, Sally Phillips, James Callis, Jessica Stephenson, Celia Imrie and Neil Pearson. Debra Hayward and Liza Chasin serve as executive producers. The film was shot on location in London, Thailand and Austria.
THE GOOD: It’s kind of funny—at least there are bits here and there that will make you laugh. Zellweger does well with the accent and is certainly charmingly.
THE BAD: This sequel has no seeming reason for existence. There is no structure or depth and is completely linear. The problem is we are supposed to feel sorry for Bridget because she doesn’t screws up her relationship by being paranoid. And then we are supposed to feel sympathy for her because she doesn’t have a models body? What message does that send?
Bridget Jones loathes herself so why should we feel any different? The sequel creates an utterly charmless and unkept Bridge Jones. I had to wonder why two men were fighting over her. She is made to be a mess—and not because Renee Zellweger put on weight. Her hair is greasy, the camera shoots her to look horrifying, and her attitude is an attempt at suicidal appeal. There is really nothing to love about her and this is the distinct difference between the sequel and the original.
DVD FEATURES: The director’s commentary by Beeban Kidron is insightful however it’s not as interesting as the commentary by Colin Firth and Renee Zellweger who discuss their movie relationship.
The disc is short on featurettes. There isn’t a deep behind-the-scenes documentary style featurette that would have added to the lack of extras. There are four featurettes and none last longer than five minutes. There are deleted scenes with director Beeban Kirdon explaining why there were left behind. Don’t expect to be impressed. You better love the movie if you buy this because you won’t get anymore bang for your buck with these extras.
FRANKLY: You will laugh but not nearly as much as with the original. Bridget Jones would be much better as a sitcom than a feature film.
+ Charlie Craine
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