the film through the Kring Filter

Rating: Null/10 (15 April 2001)

the film through my Filter did the diary of bridget jones hit or miss the mark?
i was disappointed with the lack of seriousness/intensity of the film. there were some beautiful moments of humor/grace and wit...but i found most of the scenes to be predictable and strung together in a contrived way which made me feel 'set up' to respond in the way the director hoped for...!

renee is a luminous actor- her unique energy shines through every role i have seen her in...but this character seemed a bit hollow and empty...i felt like getting the english accent down and gaining weight was the main focus!

the journal writing of bridget should have been more of a key element in the film. the pacing and rhythm of the movie began with a nice flow and then became very choppy and slapstick comedy cliche. the climax scenes that could have touched me failed to do so. the dialogue never felt real to me. was it the screenplay that missed the mark? i found myself not really feeling connected to any of the characters. i wanted to care and to feel like i was right there in the setting. this never happpened...it was clear 'i was watching a movie'. i never lost myself in the story. great films transport you into their world. this one missed that mark. it had the potential to be a transcendant and wildly funny movie. such rich and interesting subject matter- why waste it with punch lines and two men fist fighting over bridget and food splattered on aprons in the kitchen? -falling off exercise bikes and cutting from one actor to another with a predictable 'look' on their face- it was condescending! such cliche!!! i will say that the lighting and sets were beautiful and the cast of actors filled their roles with a solid quality...i cannot seem to pinpoint what made the film feel so hollow? the editing or script perhaps? ...i got the feeling they were trying so hard to make it funny and lost sight of any seriousness to the life and feelings of bridget jones. the story got lost in the humor and the props in each scene. it is a 'self conscious' film. they wasted an opportunity to develop her character and delve into her mind. what makes bridget tick? why does she write? single and 32. that is juicy material. she seems to be a very authentic honest person and that was not fully expressed or honored yet i felt like they were hinting at that and missing the bullseye of it. now i want to read the book and see how that differs from the film!
-shannon.