Highly original and definitely has its moments.

Rating: Null/10 (4 September 2002)

There were times during this movie when I laughed out loud and couldn't wait to see more, other times when it put me out. Ordinarily I don't complain about a film's content, but "Bridget Jones' Diary" does seem to have a lot of gratuitous bad language and some really crude dialogue that doesn't serve its story or quality. I guess I *am* one of those people who gets tired of hearing f***ing-this, f***ing-that every few minutes, so if you're one of those people as well, you may have trouble really getting into this movie. Still, the leading performances are excellent: Zellweger tackles the accent nicely (Definitely will have any American fooled, and we are pretty starry-eyed discerning when it comes to those English throats.) and Colin Firth is perfect as the sexy, straight man in the reindeer sweater opposite Grant as the slimy but oh-so-cute jerk. Add to this the movie's "novel" approach to providing a glimpse into the world of your average man-troubled, work-a-day, hate-my-weight unmarried young lady, and the results are poignant but still sweet enough to evoke dreamy sighs from the female audience and appreciative chuckles from the males. I wouldn't consider this a chick flick; more like an accurate Slice 'o Life from the girl's corner that is funny and multi-tiered enough to entertain anyone. Minus the vulgarity of her goofy friends, plus the cute subplot of her parents' marital woes, plus a splendid street brawl between the two roosters, and assorted jokes and wit throughout = a really fun evening alone for someone who can truly sympathize with poor Bridget. Now if only the rest of us could have such luck landing a guy like Firth...
My Score: 8.0