Zellweger
dignifies 'Bridget Jones' Diary'
By
Sean McCarthy, Daily
Nebraskan - April 16, 2001
LINCOLN,
Neb. - Almost three-quarters the way into "Bridget Jones' Diary,"
the viewer gets the pleasure of seeing Hugh Grant involved in a dirty, sloppy,
drawn-out street fight - call it pay back for doing "Nine Months."
Those who hate Hugh Grant for either his smug, stuffed-shirt roles or his
well-documented womanizing, will no doubt cheer seeing his nose bashed in
repeatedly. The scene is intensely amusing until it sprawls out of control and
resorts to bombastic clichés (the fight moves into a restaurant, Hugh Grant
goes through a glass window). Much could be said of "Bridget Jones'
Diary" in general: when it confidently sticks to subtlety, the movie
coasts; when it resorts to overblown emotion and occasionally too-broad
comedy, it falls on its duff.
Renee Zellweger plays Bridget Jones, a publicist for a publishing company.
Much has already been made about the weight she put on for the role but more
attention should focus on her effortless adaptation of an English accent.
Jones is free-thinking, headstrong and a tad insecure about approaching her
mid-30s without a decent prospect in sight.
In comes Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). Cleaver is Jones' boss and is taken by
her quirks, which she seems to fully display in the worst situations. After a
disastrous book unveiling, in which Jones' forgets the name of the author, the
two go to dinner, followed by some fulfilling sex. Cleaver instantly succumbs
to commitment-phobia, and Jones' is left to go back to her life of smoking
cigarettes, drinking bottles of wine and blaring sappy songs from the '70s and
'80s on her stereo.
Jones' problems escalate when her own family starts to crumble as her mother
(Gemma Jones) deserts her husband for the wonderful opportunity to be a
display gal on a home shopping network. To top that, Jones is also subjected
to the constant torment of Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), a childhood acquaintance
who succeeds at being cruel in both the emotional sense as well as fashion
sense.
Darcy's annoyances attract Jones just as much as her shortcomings appeal to
Darcy. Darcy and Cleaver initially pine for Jones, then lose interest, then
regain interest. Meanwhile, Jones is left to sort through the emotional land
mines.
Through the duration of "Bridget Jones' Diary," the audience gets a
healthy dose of British physical humor. The amazing thing is that most of the
jokes are actually funny and, more importantly, reflect the character's
personalities. Jones' biggest humiliation comes from sliding down a fire pole
and having her ass land squarely in front of the camera. She goes to a party
dressed up as a bunny prostitute, oblivious to the fact that the theme has
been changed to a more conventional dress code.
In most other cases, these jokes would have been a cheap way to inject humor
into a sappy story line. However, Zellweger plays Jones with a laid-back
dignity that carries the film. Another great benefit for the film is the
writing. Though it sometimes steers dangerously close to a Lifetime movie of
the week, there's just enough bittersweet dialogue to remain realistic.
Credit should also go to Firth and Grant. Firth manages to seem intriguing,
even while he condescends Jones. Grant, in his best role since "Four
Weddings and a Funeral," works his sex appeal for all its worth. The
audience knows that he is probably not the best match for Jones, but his
appeal is engaging enough to have her fall for him.
For all of the emotional turmoil inflicted on the characters in "Bridget
Jones' Diary," everything gets neatly resolved in the last 20 minutes.
And while the ending seemed rushed and a little too "Hollywood," it
succeeds for the most part.
Jones' life is put on full display in this movie, and in the hands of a lesser
actress, "Bridget Jones' Diary" would have tanked. However,
Zellweger nails the details of her character, from losing herself in an
episode of "Frasier" to her professional handling of both of her
suitors. It is one of those date movies that you will be able to walk out of
and not have a toothache. But above all, "Bridget Jones' Diary" is a
movie that deserves a look, date or not.
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