Zellweger steals the show

Rating: Null/10 (11 April 2001)

When Texan Renee Zellweger was cast as Bridget Jones, the army of fans devoted to Helen Fielding's book were up in arms. How could an American play the role of one of Britain's most beloved fictional characters? Confounding her critics though, Renee took lessons to perfect her British accent and gorged herself on pizzas to match the character's weight.
Bridget Jones is a single thirty-something woman who eats and drinks too much whilst living out her banal existence in London. Her neurotic mother is intent on finding her a man  and at her New Years party introduces her to Mark Darcy (Firth), an up and coming city barrister. Meanwhile Bridget has her eyes on her boss, a smooth talking publishing exec played by Hugh Grant.
Billed as a chick-flick', Bridget Jones is actually anything but. In essence it is just a good old-fashioned girl meets boy tale with an added dash of humour, but the vast array of talent on show provides more than just that.
Hugh Grant and Colin Firth are both superb in their roles. Grant plays the lovable posh bloke he has done many times before, but this time shows a harder, more vicious edge without detracting from the comedy aspects. Firth too shows how far he's come from baring his backside in Pride and Prejudice. He is the perfect foil for Grant and his chemistry with the lead is compelling.
The real magic comes courtesy of the screenwriters however. Helen Fielding did a great job with the book, but converting that into a hundred minutes on screen is no mean feat. Richard Curtis is no stranger to screenwriting though after Four Weddings and Notting Hill, and alongside Andrew Davies the pair have done real justice to the story.
But if there's one person who deserves the most praise then it's Zellweger herself. Her accent is spot on and it is her terrific insecurities that complete the character of Bridget adding substance to the whole tale. Zellweger simply IS Bridget. Very few actresses could have lived up to expectations as such an idolised character, but Zellweger does all that and more.
It seems ironic that a film that could only be made in Britain, an American steals the show, but after her Golden Globe for Nurse Betty and her performance in this there really is only one way for Ms Zellweger to go next, and that's up.
8/10