BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON

US/UK, 2004, 108 minutes, Colour.
Renee Zellwegger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Jacinda Barrett, James Callis, Shirley Henderson, Sally Phillips, Neil Pearson, Jessica Stephenson, James Faulkner, Celia Imrie.
Directed by Beeban Kedron.

Bridget Jones is an acquired taste – or a not-acquired taste. With the popularity of Helen Fielding’s newspaper columns and her novels, Bridget Jones’s Diary was a runaway cinema hit, especially for its target audiences, all those Bridget Jones’s out there. And why would they not like some more. And here it is.

The novels not being on my list of intended reading, I rely on commentators who say that this film does not follow the novel as closely as the first film did. Be that as it may, it is very much like the first film except that the element of surprise has gone and Bridget has to do some awkward tricks to gain our attention (like sky diving on life TV into a pig sty or, more extreme, getting arrested in Bangkok for being an (unwitting) drug courier). Again she is just that bit older and is moving from the swinging phase of her life to something more like stability. She is no revolutionary, really, what she wants is love sweet love.

Love is in the form of Colin Firth who is once again a somewhat stolid Mr Darcy, even though he smiles more in this film and has another fight with Hugh Grant, falling into a fountain (twice). But this is the Colin Firth performance so who can complain. Shazza and all the friends are back, drinking, gossiping, interfering when they should be encouraging. We see too little of Bridget’s parents (Jim Broadbent and Gemma Jones, although it is they who bring the warmth of love and tradition to the ending).

I am afraid I liked Hugh Grant. He is just as much the absolute cad, vain, preening, seductive (and not just in theory), with a by-line in funny, bitchy one-liners. Things brightened up when he came on screen.

Renee Zellwegger does her best as Bridget Jones and reminds us of her versatility (Chicago, Cold Mountain) as an actress. And, for many, like me, she will be Bridget Jones.

1.The popularity of the original film? Of Bridget Jones herself? The necessity for a sequel – based on the popular novels?

2.Bridget Jones as a British icon, for “Singletons”? The first film Bridget in her twenties, her search, identity? Her thirties and wanting love and settling down?

3.21st century London, the range of locations, flats and homes, television station? The countryside – and the skydiving into the pigpen? Thailand, exotic scenes, the tourist scenes, the beaches, drugs, the prison?

4.The musical score, the songs and the lyrics echoing the themes, especially about love?

5.The audience and their take on Bridget? Women’s audiences, men’s audiences? The twenties and thirties?

6.The popularity of this kind of light comedy, the tradition of the screwball comedy, 21st century style, British?

7.The device of the diary, beginning at the beginning of the year, ending at the end of the year? The summary, the resolutions? The reassessment of the year lived through during the film, gains and losses?

8.Renee Zellwegger as Bridget, capturing the British style, the early thirties, her weight, awkward walk, her appearance, hair, the clothes and her lack of fashion sense (and the collage with the taxi driver commenting on what she should wear or not)? Her pratfalls, range of faux pas? Reliance on her friends and their advice – and their undermining advice? The ecstasy of her relationship with Mark Darcy, its past? With Daniel Cleaver? Her relationship with her parents, the visits? Her hopes, joy, being loved, the sexual fulfilment, her being prone to suspicions, the consequences, the risks? Her petulance, being sorry? Her wanting the conventional happy ending and normal hopes?

9.Bridget’s attitudes to life, identity, work, friends, love, sex, career, family? Her left of centre views – and her rash expressing them, especially at the formal dinner about conservative behaviour?

10.With Mark Darcy, the sexual relationship, love? His fastidiousness, her staring at him in bed? Being in love, the phone calls – and the embarrassment when they were put on the loudspeaker, her visits and coming in at the wrong time at meetings? Suspicions, the urging of her friends to spy, her falling from the roof, her being suspicious without grounds? The encounters with Rebecca, her suspicions, the descriptions of her beauty, at the evening with Mark, party, at the ski resort, the final revelation and the kiss? Her boss and his goading her, directing her by remote for the skydiving, landing in the pigpen? The later meeting, his putting her on the job with Daniel? The skiing and her pretence, the calamity as she sped downhill? Her devotion to Mark, going to her parents, his parents, his not setting a date for marriage, her being hurt, the clash with him, the break, accusing him of being a snob, going to Thailand and taking the job with Daniel?

11.The history with Daniel, his character, at the meeting and making jokes, seeing him on his run? Giving her the job? Joking about her appearance? On the flight, her crammed with the fat man, going into First Class? At work, the mock travelogues of Thailand? Going to Daniel’s room, the attempt at seduction, his talk, wit, sarcasm? The irony of her stopping and the prostitute arriving for the massage? His later seeing her in the airport and not doing anything about it?

12.Her friends, Jude, Tom, Shazzer? Their advice, drinking? The different characters? Their undermining her relationship with Mark, offering suspicions? Shazzer going to Thailand, their sharing the holiday, the beaches, the infatuation with Jed – Jed and his charm, the gift, the irony of the drug deals?

13.The airport, with the ornament, her being surrounded, taken to prison? Miserable, befriending the women, their chatting, talking about the men who had abused them – and her not having problems to speak of and her having to pretend to be a victim? Pronunciations, the Madonna dance? Mark and his arrival, her formality with him, his formality with her, getting her out?

14.Mark, stuffiness, the law, a good man, civil rights? Love for Bridget, the sexual relationship? His sounding like a snob? His response to her spying, the faux pas at the party, the rouge, her comments? Their talking, the clash, her talking to him on the phone while he was at the door? The men in the street cheering him on? Going to Bridget’s parents? His not proposing marriage? The break? His going to Bangkok, the discussions, her return, her disdain of him, the friends telling her the truth? Her bursting into the meeting, the business people urging her to ask her question, his going outside, the corridor and her practically failing the question, her wanting to start over again, his proposal and her acceptance? Their being at her parents’ renewal of vows?

15.Daniel, his character, smarmy and sleazy? The program, the challenge by Darcy, the fight in the park and the fountain?

16.The TV world, the boss, the cutthroat world, the world of humiliations?

17.The glimpse of Bridget’s parents, Mark’s parents, the socials, the family, her mother pushing, her world-weary father? Greeting her on her return home? The renewal of vows, her mother and the dresses – and her father in lavender? The joy of the final ceremony and commitment?

18.Rebecca, the other woman, the catty gossip given to Bridget, the encounters with Rebecca, her strength of personality, working with Mark? Her infatuation with Bridget?

19.An entertaining comedy – with some exploration of deeper meanings for twenty- and thirtysomethings?