Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

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Bridget Jones’s Diary Movie Review

Bridget Jones’s Diary is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. It is a surprisingly good romantic comedy flick.

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“It is a truth universally acknowledged

that when one part of your life starts going okay,

another falls spectacularly to pieces.“

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This is the kind of film that is a classic romantic comedy meaning that it is entirely predictable from start to finish. She starts dating her boss, but he cheats on her and eventually she ends up with a good man for her who is Hugh Grant’s rival. Even the chase at the end is thoroughly archetypal.

But the film succeeds despite ifs familiarity because it is just so incredibly well executed. Not only are the characters very memorable and the protagonist extremely likable, but the film is both romantic and funny and that is what this genre is supposed to be.

I really liked Bridget Jones as she has such an endearing personality. Renee Zellweger carried the entire movie on her shoulders, delivering a performance that was Oscar-nominated, but she should have won in my opinion. She is simply put wonderful here and the performance and the characterization is so good that you feel like you’ve really met her.

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Both Daniel and Mark are typical characters, but they are well developed and I liked the feud that forms between the two. Hugh Grant is absolutely insufferable as he always is, but I shouldn’t blame that on the movie as that’s actually the point here. But Colin Firth is so likable and you root for the two to end up together as they’re such a charming couple.

I really liked the subplot with Jones’s parents. The two are having difficulties, but in the end, she comes back to him in a sequence that is both funny and very heartwarming. Another highlight in terms of the scenes is the last one. It is a cliché for sure, but watching the two hug and kiss on a snowy street is a memorable image to end the movie on. The film takes its time to get there owing to a somewhat less interesting first act, but the rest of it is great.

Bridget Jones’s Diary is very romantic and some sequences are really touching, but never overly emotional. It is done in the best way possible and if all of romantic comedies were this well made, the familiarity of their stories would be forgiven. The humor is terrific and is, along with Zellweger’s performance, the film’s highlight. The central character is very funny, but so are her parents. The film made me laugh a lot of the times and it made me smile almost throughout the whole running time which is why I liked it so much and I really didn’t expect that. It is one of the most stupendous films I’ve seen recently.

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It is well directed and mostly well paced as the film is never boring or rushed. Most of the plot points worked and even though I knew everything that was going to happen, it was so well made that I enjoyed the experience nevertheless. I also have to mention the score. It is the kind of film that uses pop songs and it does that really well as most of the songs are perfectly utilized in the movie and they accompany their scenes fittingly.

It is an entirely predictable movie, but Bridget Jones’s Diary succeeds because it is just so well made. The acting is terrific, the romance is great and the highlights are Zellweger’s performance which is fantastic and should have brought her an Oscar and the humor which is really good and it made me laugh a lot. I knew how it would end, but it was still an enjoyable experience as it was so charming and endearing.

My Rating – 4.5

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