Engaging piece of romantic fluff

Rating: Null/10 (13 November 2002)

Bridget Jones works in publishing. Her mother is constantly trying to find her a man, none of which have ever worked out. She fancies her boss, despite knowing he embodies every quality in men that she despises. She starts to keep a diary of her life, and how she plans to re-organise it to achieve her goals. We get to follow her along on her journey.
`Bridget Jones's Diary' was far more engaging than I had expected. It's as deep as a wet piece of paper and you know how it winds up within the opening minutes. Nonetheless the characters - thinly sketched as they are - are enjoyable. Special note goes to the titular character, played wonderfully by Renee Zellweger. She effuses her character with warmth and an indescribable cuteness. You feel affection towards her and want her to succeed. She has a genial clumsiness and awkwardness that's very endearing because it grounds as being more human than a lot of other rom-com efforts - she could be one of us. Hugh Grant went against his foppish norm (as he did again successfully in `About A Boy') to play her shallow but charming boss. Gone are the stuttering mannerisms that launched Grant's career - he's playing someone far more astute and assured here and it works well (though not as well as in `About A Boy'). He's ultimately not up to too much but he's entertaining. More fun is the secondary love interest - Darcy, played by Colin Firth. There's a great air of cynical observation off of him, a nice balance to Bridget's own self. A quiet, fairly reserved man, he's got far more pride and standards than Cleaver (Grant). There's also good chemistry between all three, which helps greatly as the film becomes a love triangle. They're fleshed out by a fairly forgettable support cast, with only Bridget's heart-broken father (played by the excellent Jim Broadbent) making an impression.
The script is quite witty and funnier than I would have expected. Naturally it's often from character observation but there's a nice dash of physical humour there. Watching Bridget and Darcy make the most inappropriate choice of comments this side of the BBC's `The Office' is a lot of fun. Sharon Maguire, in the directing seat, adds a few nice touches, such as the onscreen appearance of extracts of Bridget's diary. They all help add to the warmth. The locations, set designs, naturally reflect their characters well, if a little simplistically (clean cut designs for shallow Cleaver, disorderly haphazard for Bridget, etc.). The pacing is spot on so you're never bored, even as you await the inevitable. I'm not sure if it would stand up to repeated viewings but it certainly would point me to seeing the sequel and recommend it as one of the finest examples of the (typically woeful) rom/com genres. It's no `Amelie' but it could be the next best thing in recent years. 7.0/10.