There's Something About Bridget
The Stars come out for the premiere of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

FilmFocus - November 9, 2004

In the world of premieres and parties, there are good events for us non-glitzy press, and there are bad events. Fortunately, last night's charity premiere for the second Bridget Jones film, The Edge of Reason, was a v v good event - and FilmFocus was there to live it up.

Thousands of fans lined the red carpet (which was, in fact, a topical shade of lavender) in spite of the devastating rain that touched ground outside the Odeon, Leicester Square, and they were not to be disappointed - joining the film's leads, Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth were the film's director, Beeban Kidron, author, Helen Fielding, the God of British romantic comedy, Richard Curtis, Bridget's mum, Gemma Jones, the delightful Celia Imrie and actress Jacinda Barrett. 

But the full Bridget experience wouldn't be complete without the plethora of other, non-Bridget guests that strolled down the lavender carpet. Helena Bonham Carter, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Robbie Williams, Jeremy Paxman, Sir Elton John and Rowan Atkinson had all braved the damp, and decidedly British, November weather.

As had Bill Nighy, who had turned up to watch the only Working Title film he hadn't starred in over the last twelve months, "I did try to get a part, but they wouldn't have it," he told us, "they said that they ran the risk of overexposing me. They certainly don't need any help from me, they're doing pretty well." But no, surely the wonderful Bill Nighy could command every film ever made? "Well, if I could I would love to be!"

One film he definitely will be commanding is Sprung! The Magic Roundabout - which will see Nighy take on his first feature-film voice role, "I'm playing Dylan the Rabbit," he told us, "they were looking for a deranged stoned-out individual, and for some reason they thought about me."

What can we expect from the film? "The animation is twenty-first century, it's brilliant," he revealed, "and they're faithful to the original characters - they're all instantly recognisable to one generation and brand new for another - but the story and the presentation are terrific and very modern and new. I've seen bits of it and it looks excellent."

The trailer that's been circulating certainly does indicate it has a very modern story - our characters find themselves escaping volcanoes and running for their lives. "Dylan plays no small part in the action side of the movie," he told us, "which was very satisfying."

Doing our best to hold our excitement and get back to the film of the night, we chatted to Gemma Jones, who plays Bridget's mum, and she was quick to sing the praises of life on a sequel, "It was lovely," she told us, "it was like seeing the family again."

But was there ever any hesitation to jump back into the roll? "Oh no," she said, "I hope there's a third and a fourth and a fifth."

For the film's director, Beeban Kidron, taking the lead for a sequel wasn't quite as nerve-wracking as walking down the carpet to screams from the assembled crowd, but she admitted to feeling the weight of the first film, "It was a huge responsibility," she told us, "I didn't want to disappoint the Bridget fans. There was a huge love of Bridget Jones and I felt I had something to keep safe."

The Swept from the Sea director was quick to sing the praises of her Bridget Jones, "Renée is fantastic," she said, "I think she is one of the great comediennes of our time and, I have to say, my hat is off to her. She's somewhere between the consummate actress and this unbelievable, rhythmic comedienne. It's a pleasure."

For the book's author, Helen Fielding, collaborating on the script for the sequel was a decidedly different experience from penning the novel, "When you write a book," she told us, "you're the complete dictator - and everyone has to do exactly what you say and wear exactly what you say - but a film has to be a collaboration, so it was a good thing for me to involved with." And could she imagine anyone other than Renée Zellweger in the lead role? "No. Not at all."

And can we expect any more from Bridget Jones? "Not at the moment," she said, "but I'll definitely be thinking about it."

That collaborative vibe was certainly felt by Richard Curtis, who mused on how fun returning to the Bridget experience had been. "It was absolutely fabulous," he told us, "and it was quite interesting - for the first time ever, because I'd written all these romantic comedies that end with them walking into the sunset, it was quite interesting thinking about what happens after that false moment with the big strings. This one's about romance unravelling and sorting itself out - it was fun."

So all these sunset moments in London? Surely Curtis is working for the tourist board. "I'm not," he said, "but I love London and I don't see why you shouldn't be nice about it."

Mark Darcy himself, Colin Firth, had nothing but praise for the fun-loving attitudes of his co-stars, "We tend to have the most fun when we're promoting," he told us, "we're not doing our job as we understand it, we're doing something else, and that's when we really get to know each other."

Of course, Firth is well known this side of the Atlantic for his role as another Mark Darcy, in the BBC mini-series adaptation of Pride and Prejudice - is he excited to see the new feature-film version, which'll see Enigma star, Matthew MacFadyen, take on the Darcy role? "I will be looking forward to it, actually," he said, "somebody to take the baton and carry it on - it'll be a bloody relief." 

Political journalist, Jeremy Paxman, who has a fourteen-word cameo in the film, told us how he found his brush with silver-screen stardom, "I'd never seen a movie set," he said, "so it was an experience for me." And was it fun? "It was excruciatingly boring - it took four hours to say fourteen words."

Aussie, Jacinda Barrett, who plays the foxy Rebecca, Bridget's perceived challenger to her Darcy thrown, spoke of the experience coming onto a sequel, "It was a lot of fun," she told us, "I loved the first movie so much that when I got cast in this, the chance to hang out with all of those characters I'd loved from the first movie was just wonderful."

Barrett was quick to defend her character, "She isn't the traditional bad-girl in that way because Bridget manufactures it all, so Beeban wanted to make it clear I wasn't that, so we played her far nicer and more open and easy going and confident."

All of this Bridget talk had been hyping us up for the imminent arrival of Renée Zellweger, sporting sexy brunette locks. So do blondes have more fun? "I don't know," she told us, "it hasn't been long enough for me to answer the question responsibly... but at the same time I have no complaints."

The Oscar winner blushed at suggestion that her role in this sequel had cemented her position as an adopted British icon, "I don't really see it that way," she said, "but I think it's incredible to play this character and it's such a blessing."

Always keen to learn about new movies, particularly when the star someone as charismatic and lovely as Renée Zellweger, FilmFocus was quick to ask the actress about her role in Piece of My Heart - a biopic of 70's rock legend, Janis Joplin - which she's been attached to since June of last year. So can she tell us anything about the project? "No," she told us, "I think that was a premature release on someone's part. I was just discussing it with the filmmakers. The script is in production and we'll see what happens."

And would she be excited to take on the role? "Terrified," she admitted to us, "Terrified and terribly, terribly honoured."

Last word, though, must go to the Prince of Darkness - good old Ozzy Osbourne. When asked by a nearby journalist if he preferred the curvaceous Bridget Jones or the thin Renée Zellweger, the Black Sabbath legend said, most diplomatically, "What, the ****, language are you speaking? Who's Bridget Jones? Who are you on about? Who's Renée Zellweger? I don't know who the **** you're talking about."

It's alright Ozzy - we don't know either.