Hey folks, Harry here... proud owner of a pair of Bridget Jones' panties... Miramax sent me a pair, so I have to find out the significance of the pair of panties... not a prop from the film, but rather a promotional item... they're what many gals consider 'Granny Panties' with a printed stamp saying, "Property of Bridget Jones... What follows is a big ol bunch of reviews for BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY.... macho males to in-touch-with-their-feminine-side males to a real life female and her thoughts.... So... you want to know if it is worth your time... read up, here it comes....
Hi Harry and all AICN readers,
There was a screening in London, England last night of new Brit-com rom-com Bridget Jones's Diary and I was lucky enough to score a ticket. The film is more or less complete (just some final tweaking with the music track and titles sequence I think) but one wonders how it could possibly be improved.
I make it clear from the beginning that there are so many reasons I could have been the wrong person for this movie. 1: I'm a man. 2: I haven't read the book. 3: I have always believed Hugh Grant incapable of a good performance. 4: I almost always dislike British movies and the ones I do like (Billy Elliot, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels) I still consider overrated.
With that out the way I can say that Bridget Jones is faultless. The appeal of the film is wide and it is the perfect date movie, but men do not be afraid of seeing it with mates. The script is spot on with countless laugh-out-loud one-liners, set pieces, situations. London (and the UK in general) has never looked so good.
To specifics. Acting. Renee Zellweger will astound you. Personally I liked Nurse Betty a lot but this blows all other performances out of the water. Yes, she does have a perfect British accent, but whereas someone like Gwyneth Paltrow sounds like she is doing an accent (good as it was in Shakespeare in Love) you don't notice Renee's. She just is British. Anyone seeing this movie that didn't know Ms Zellweger was Texan would never believe you if you told them. She is completely believable as an average woman just trying to get through life as best she can. Unlike so many films that portray a plain woman who has a troubled love life and give the part to Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan and you think "yeah, right" you are attrated to Renee but because of the character not the actress. She has embodied the character perfectly and you don't think of her as Renee Zellweger in a part.
As for the leading men. Colin Firth - a great British actor, underused on film - takes on his cold but sweet character with perfact balance. You never know how his character will develop until it does and when it does you can believe it without a leap of faith. The real surprise here, however is that Hugh Grant can act. Becoming the anti-Hugh, an opposite of the character we are used to from Notting Hill and Four Weddings & a Funeral. He has built on his Small Time Crooks character and blended it with the characters of old to create a new breed - believable, real.
The script will have you rolling with laughter and the mix of simple one-liners, hysterical set-pieces and embarrassing situations come thick and fast - keeping the story fresh, fast and funny. The combination of Helen Fielding (the author) and Richard Curtis (Notting Hill/Four Weddings/Black Adder) pitches the appeal wide and while the film may not appeal to younger blokes (early teens) is should be enjoyed by pretty much anybody over 20.
See this movie, it will reinstill any faith you may have had in British
movies. The best rom-com since When Harry Met Sally Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.
motta80
This is my first submission to the site...I've been a fan since '96 and this is my first submission to you Harry - feel free to call me Billy Superhero. BTW, I enjoyed your recent Politically Incorrect appearance last Sunday. My only question is - Is Ayesha that HOT in person???
Well on to my spoiler free review! Last night I saw an advance screening in Minneapolis of Bridget Jones' Diary starring Renee Zielwieger and Hugh Grant. I initially thought it was just a sneak preview, but upon showing the film the audience was informed it would be opening April 13th.
Anyways Renee was brillant in this film and is quite a departure from her previous roles (although I haven't seen Nurse Betty yet). Having lived in the U.K. for 6 months I can say she acurately depicted the culture and character. SHe has all the musings of a perfect British female in her early 30s. Although it does take a good 15-20 minutes for her to really get into the character and leave her squeaky clean roles behind.
Lots of smoking, cursing and sex talk. Now some of the cursing feels forced at times (which may turn some people off) but I think it was very reprentative of the British culture. I admit I was a bit leary of this being a chick-flick and bein! g ! overly dramatic. To my surprize I laughed very hard. Granted there are moments that only woman will find humorous. But overall it doesn't get preachy as to man = evil. Instead it rouses that funny bone by outrageous situations Ms. Jones finds herself in. That and the fact Ms Zeilweger takes a chance by playing not an overwieght or plump character, but a realistic looking woman - flaws and all. That and it shows the side of woman men rarely get to see, the side with less demeanor yet she still comes across as attractive as she did in Jerry Maguire.
Even Hugh Grant's role is uncharacteristic of his career playing the sleazy man role. Which although is a breath of fresh air for him - there are still moments where you feel he could be more. Colin Firth - the good guy - also does alright though spending most of the film brooding.
Overall, I think (depending on the competition upon release) this film may defintly have sta! yi! ng power - not to mention open Zeilweger to a wider range of roles. So I definitly believe this film is worth a trip to see it in the theaters - it will leave women talking for weeks.
Scenes to leave you in stiches- Zeilweger in a corset, fishnet stockings and bunny ears; Bridget Jones speeches (especially at the book release moment in the movie).
I talked to the promotions guy afterwards and evidently the film is still being finished since there was no credits at the end and the beginning had a lot of working titles still. But I don't think they will be doing much editing of the film since no one was asked to fill out forms or q and a's. Supposedly there were 20-30 other cities doing a showing and Mpls was the first one.
Hope this has been informative.
Billy
Hey Harry.
This is the first time I've ever written into your site, and it's not big
news. I did catch a sneak peak of Bridget Jones Diary tonight however. Let
me first say, I don't like chick flicks most of the time. With the exception
of Notting Hill, and maybe Pretty Woman, I usually stay away from them.
Bridget Jones Diary is not just a chick flick though, it's a great film. I
thought Nurse Betty was one of last year's best films, mainly because of the
charming performance of Zellweger. Well she repeats. If the Academy can
give Julia the Academy Award, I hope to hell Renee is remembered next year.
She is wonderful. The film is well written and has some great performances.
Hugh Grant has never been in better form. Out of all the great films I've
seen so far this year, Hannibal, Memento, and Blow. Bridget Jones Diary is
so far my favorite. It's not too long. Isn't full of itself. Has huge
laughs, and great performances. Not to be missed.
Big Hank.
Hey Harry,
I managed to get a screening of Bridget Jones's Diary over here in good ol'
Blighty last night and here are some of my thoughts.
OK, first off, if you aren't too familiar with the premise of the book
Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) is a single thirty something, living and
working in London. After a humiliating New Year's party at her parents, she
resolves to do something with her life including lose 20 pounds, quit
smoking and stop flirting with her cad of a boss (Hugh Grant). Cue plenty of
shagging between Bridget and boss. Also on the scene is a gent by the name
of Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) who, according to Hugh, stole his fiancée and
left him heartbroken. Plenty of alcohol induced angst and romantic moments
follow (including a genuinely very funny fight scene which bursts into a
Greek restaurant and stops momentarily so they two protagonists can join in
singing happy Birthday to a diner).
If you've read the book, you won't be disappointed as it sticks fairly close
to the plot.
Zellweger is OK as Bridget. She's put on a fair bit of weight for the role
and her ever so English accent does slip occasionally but she does succeed
in bringing the character to life and Firth as Darcy smolders in much the
same way he did in the BBC version of Pride And Prejudice that won him an
army of admirers on this side of the pond (Interesting fact...in the novel,
Bridget is infatuated with Firth and his portrayal of Mr. D'Arcy and the
love interest in the book is based on that character). However the biggest
surprise to me was Hugh Grant as Bridget's bastard boss. Delightfully
shallow, self-obsessed and a real bounder, this could take Hugh's career in
a whole other direction (let's face it, he does need a change).
Overall, I think it'll go down a storm over here but not too sure how US
audiences will take to it. The humour is very British and some bits are
incredibly un-PC (Isn't the situation in Chechnya terrible? What, oh fuck
them.) but it will make a perfect date flick.
Call me The Gooner.
I haven't had much luck with the romantic comedy genre lately. For the most part they are pretty redundant and the jokes are more miss rather than hit. I am proud to announce this film is the exception rather than the rule. Bridget Jones's Diary is fantastically funny and charming film.
I was afraid that I was in store for a formula movie when the film opened. When we are introduced to Bridget, she is a young thirties single woman who is dreading an annual Christmas party where her Mother is always trying to set her up with an equally single man. This time out it's a lawyer named Mark Darcy. After a disastrous first encounter she overhears him say some nasty things about her and decides that she is going to put every foot forward to not end up "a spinster who will be found dead and half eaten by dogs one day". She also decides to start a diary to track her progress at losing weight, quitting smoking and drinking and to find her inner poise. After a few flirtatious e-mails, she begins a relationship with her boss Daniel Cleaver. During the course of the relationship she keeps running into Darcy. The two men have a past history and don't like each other very much. When the relationship with Cleaver gets rocky, Bridget begins to see Darcy in a new light.
When Renee Zellweger was cast as Bridget, it caused an uproar because the book is very British and her character is a drinking, smoking party girl who has to battle her weight. Another thing, as Kevin Costner can tell you, there is the whole British accent thing to pull off. Well I can say that not only is it credible after the few first minutes, you forget that she is not a Brit. She also gained 30 pounds for the role (and never looked better) and she is absolutely charming. Bridget is the average single woman and she is charmingly ditsy. When Bridget is at her worst, be it in her super large underwear or sliding down a firepole (hilarious trust me), Zellweger is at her best. Hugh Grant plays the boss Cleaver. It is the best role I have seen him in a while. He is perfect as the charming yet sleazy bad boy that Bridget swears she will resist but ultimately can't. Equally as good is Colin Firth who plays the straight laced Mark Darcy. His cold straight lace manner is the perfect backdrop for Bridget charming
clumsiness.
While Renee Zellweger deserves a lot of the credit for the films' success the script deserves an equal amount. It is a fresh take on an old topic and the jokes are hilarious. I laughed the whole way through out. There is a definite bond made between Bridget Jones and the audience. When she laughs you laugh. When she gets crushed you get crushed a bit too. First time director Sharon Maguire gets top-level performances out of her cast and her sense of comic timing works tremendously well.
Bridget Jones's Diary works on all levels. It's funny it has a great cast with great performances and a story that while isn't the most original, is funny and not entirely predictable. It is definitely worth the bucks to see this in the theaters.
Wheel 99
Hey Harry!
Long time fan, first time contributor.
I had the good fortune (bad luck?) to attend an advance screening of
Bridgett Jones Diary here in Cleveland last night.
I have to completely and utterly disagree with Capone's take on the film,
however.
This movie is a prime example of classic hollywood stupidity. This should
be a British film, based on a British novel with a BRITISH cast. Period.
Instead what we get is an American film, loosely based on a British novel
with a 'mostly' British cast.
Now, I love Renee Zellweger, don't get me wrong. But not in this film. She
is not from England, she was not born there and she is not a 'great' enough
actress to make me believe otherwise. I just did not buy it. She came off
as an American, trying to be British. Her accent, mannerisms, postures and
facial expressions have 'Made in the USA' all over them. It just doesn't
work. Not at all. This would have been a PERFECT vehicle for the likes of
say, Minnie Driver, Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett etc. But never never never
Renee 'You had me from hello' Zellweger. In lieu of the fact that the
script was delightful, I desperately wanted to suspend disbelief but it just
did not work.
The other thing that REALLY bothered me was the soundtrack. All during the
film we are bombarded with classic AMERICAN pop tunes. Aretha Franklin,
Chaka Kahn etc..... Not a single British song was to be heard. They should
have thrown in at least a 'couple' of British pop pieces.......Wang Chung,
Steve Winwood, Phil Collins......SOMETHING! But nothing was there. Just
American artists, one and all. I hope the British boycott this film.
I really hate it when Hollywood butchers what should be a delightful UK
film. When are they going to learn that American audiences are surely
sophisticated enough to appreciate and patron a delightful film that does
not feature a Hollywood 'flavor of the month' actress.
Hmm....maybe when Harry Potter opens and makes zillions of dollars
worldwide...maybe then they will realize you can be successful at the box
office without 'forcing' an American into a British film. *sigh*
In any event....I just thought I would throw in my two cents.....
Pescadeus
"'Bridget Jones's Diary' Hits the Mark"
By: Erin Lynch
WARNINNG:Plot spoilers ahead!!!
The Miramax film “Bridget Jones’s Diary” brings author Helen
Fielding’s book to the big screen in a big way-capturing the wit and irony
that made the book so popular among women and men alike.
“Diary” is about the life of well- Bridget Jones, a thirty something
career minded Singleton as she battles Men, Smug Marrieds, calories and the
alluring call ofcigarettes and alcohol. All of course, helped by all knowing
self help books and the friends of her urban family.
Although when it was announced that Renee Zellweger would play the
character of Bridget there was grumbling (myself included) she did an amazing
job of being Bridget Jones. She pulled off the all-important task of getting
the British accent right; with some help from her co-stars Hugh Grant and
Colin Firth, both native Britons. Zellweger was able to capture the neurotic,
self-centered but sweet and kind essence of Bridget perfectly. Making her all
the more believable is that she has a natural beauty. A perfectly polished
actress wouldn’t have been able to get close to a believable Bridget- who is
by no means model perfect. Zellweger is able to switch scenes and moods
smoothly- one minute lookin gconfident and intelligent as she listens to a
high-brow conversation about books; the next minute flustered and confused as
one of the men tries to pull her into the discussion by asking her opinion.
She answers the best way she can- by asking where the toilet is. Whether it’s
singing karaoke (badly!),spilling drunkenly out of a cab on her way home from
happy hour, or cooking five course dinners complete with blue soup
Zellweger’s portrayal is Bridget is flawless.
Hugh Grant plays Daniel Cleaver, Bridget’s sexy but sleazy boss at
Premberly Publishing. He seduces her with suggestive email messages and then
dumps her for what Bridget likes to call an “American stick insect”. Perhaps
helped by his Hollywood reputation Grant does a fine job of pulling off the
thoroughly despicably Cleaver. The swagger, the attitude- Grant has it all
down to perfection. Grant gets the true personality of Cleaver- slightly
idiotic,arrogant, and perverted- and brings it to life on the big screen.
Cleaver does have his nice moments and Grant easily transitions to those as
well. But satisfyingly Cleaver gets his from Bridget- twice!- in a way that
leaves you grinning and applauding her.
Colin Firth plays Mark Darcy, a human rights lawyer, who at first
seems snobby and cold. Firth’s Darcy is exactly how he comes across in the
book- an aloof, sharp-tongued guy on the outside that is really dying to
break loose and have fun with someone like Bridget. However, in his upper
crust circle that would be absolutely unacceptable so from the moment he
meets her he tries to push her away. Firth does a great job portraying
Darcy’s quiet, surprising wit. With a few choice comments here and there
suffused with the right emotion and a few pained, longing looks Firth easily
shows the audience Darcy’s hidden sensitivity and desires. Firth makes Darcy
into just the kind of man Bridget wants and needs- if they can only get over
the obstacles between them.
A host of other hilarious character populate the movie, most
importantly Bridget’s meddling, penny-bright mother Pam and Bridget’s three
best friends- feminist, opinionated Shazzer, commitment obsessed Jude, and
arrogant Tom, who had one pop song in the 80’s and now thinks he’s famous.
In the book these four play much larger roles but they are done justice in
the movie. They have individual, obvious personalities, which save them from
becoming flat characters.
There is one problem that I had with the movie. In the book, every
day Bridget records how many calories, cigarettes and alcohol units she’s
consumed as wellas her weight for the day. Then she rates these figures. In
the beginning of the movie they did this a couple of times but that was it-
it could be confusing to someone who hasn’t read the book. In my opinion,
they should have done this continuously throughout the movie or left it out
altogether.
There is also a lot of stuff that is condensed from the book or cut
out completely-however this always happens in movies based on books. All of
the important and really comical scenes are there. I have rarely seen a movie
based on a book that I’ve read that I actually liked. But I love this movie
and I really enjoyed it. I left the theatre happy and satisfied- I didn’t
feel I’d missed out on anything. I encourage everyone to go see this movie.
Women will see themselves in Bridget and men will get a glimpse of the way a
woman’s mind really work.But all who see this movie will get a couple hours
of laughs more than worth the price of the ticket.
As for the ending, it is, well….that’s another thing you’ll have to
see for yourself!
Harry,
Wickerman here with a review for "Bridget Jones Diary". I know this may have been posted already but I thought, help this movie get its wings. I was at a preview screening in the heart of the big ol' movie capital and really liked it.
I'll tell you, I have not read this novel so I can't compare it with the adaptation I saw, nor do I know anyone who's read "Bridget Jones Diary" but apparently many woman have a copy sitting on their nightstand. With such an honest look at the dating game, the movie should appeal to both sexes. Remember when Tom Cruise shot "Interview with the Vampire" and fans wanted him burned at the stake, only to have it turn out that he rocked everyone's world in that film? Helen Fielding, the book's author is credited as a producer on this and one of its screenwriters, but this being a movie you never how much (or early on) she was involved. People protested Renee Zellweger's casting, but the same thing happened here, just like with Tommy Boy, Renee will make everyone into a believer.
As most of you may have seen the ads, you know what the movie's about. Bridget Jones is a single woman in her early thirties, always slightly worried about her weight and smoking habits. Her life gets complicated when she ends up in a little tryst with Hugh Grant. Along for the ride are her helpful and wisecracking best pals and a stodgy childhood acquaintance played by Colin Firth. There really isn't one wasted performance in the film. From Grant, to Firth, to the actors playing Bridget's best friends, to Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent as her on-the-rocks parents, every one of them are given wonderful lines and scenes to work with. It may look like a chick flick to some, but this movie is just damn funny! Everyone in the theater, myself included, laughed nonstop during the whole thing. I believe this is Sharon Maguire's first film-directing effort and she puts this wacky, self-deprecating yet sweet tone into it. It's a brutally honest movie about the way people get their hearts broken, and who hasn't? The many great gags are in the wickedly British humor style as opposed to the Americanized comedy everyone feared. This is a film with wit and heart and just a little craziness.
But the key to making this work is the girl with "the funny name", Renee Zellweger, who in my mind after this and "Nurse Betty" is as much the cinema's sweetheart as Julia Roberts. She's in every scene of this movie basically. She may not be English but she *was* an Englishwoman here. You can't bottle what this lady has. People just love her and want her to be happy. Men love her. Women love her. She nailed the accent, even made the ultimate actor's sacrifice by physically altering her body for the role and poking fun at herself. Her Bridget comes to life, captured in the truest sense of a performance.
Another hot time in the old town tonight.
WickerMan
Now for Billy...
Now for Big Hank
Now we goto The Gooner...
Next comes Wheel 99
Next up comes the depressed and downtrowdened Pescadeus
And now we go to the beautiful Erin....
And next we have the WICKERMAN
