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Keeping up with the Jones
by CarlosC (movies profile)
Mar 5, 2008
9
of
11 people found this review helpful
She's chubby and over thirty, two dire signs for a young woman desperately trying to avoid aging into a lonely spinster, but Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) decides to look at herself frankly by keeping a diary and getting her love life together. When the movie starts out, Bridget is a sorry sight, drinking herself silly while lip-synching to Jamie O'Neal's version of "All By Myself." Then, we find out that her alternative to being all by herself is being with Mr. Wrong, who happens to look like (and, is played by) Hugh Grant. Bridget's mum occasionally urges a Mr. Even-More-Wrong, at least in Bridget's eyes, a contemptuous human rights lawyer (Colin Firth). What is a girl to do? Bridget's first impulse is, perhaps, a stopgap solution: give in to Mr. Wrong (Grant). Or, maybe, Bridget believes that she can eke out Mr. Right out of this, at best, Mr. Right-Now. In any event, Bridget makes the cardinal error of falling for Mr. Wrong, while Mr. Even-More-Wrong (Firth) keeps popping up, enticing us with the possibility that he might not be so wrong, after all. The movie starts out dicey, particularly for fans of the popular novel, but also for moviegoers who might scrutinize Texan Zellweger's British accent (the film is set in England), her weight, her smoking technique, etc. (in the film, as in the novel, Jones drinks a lot and smokes like a fiend). The movie gathers steam toward the end, when we the audience are given enough information so that we make up *our* minds about what Bridget ought to do and can settle back to waiting for her to catch up with us. The key for the movie's ultimate success is in large part its cast, particularly Hugh Grant as the irresistible scoundrel. He brings, of course, something to the role no other actor could bring because of his offscreen history, which adds to the pathos and charm of the character. Colin Firth also does an admirable job of playing a guy we dislike at first, but come around to rooting for as the plot progresses. Finally, Zellweger acquits herself well in the lead role, and she possesses both dramatic ability and a good sense of timing critical for a role that is ultimately self-deprecating and, at times, very farcical. A botched part of the film involves its subsurface middle class complacency theme. In other words, part of the problem of Bridget's being alone is personal -- lack of companionship, sexual angst, etc. But, another part of the problem might be that Bridget is not comporting to society's expectations. The fact that Bridget comes from a middle-of-the-road British family underscores this idea. Bridget seems to resist this notion, spurning her mother's efforts to find her a life of conventional comfort. Along these lines, her parents are presented as the failed model of the middle class way -- they are too dull for any comfort. But, the movie fudges and fumbles this point, because both Bridget and her parents ultimately choose a road of conformance that seems as unsatisfying at some profound level as Bridget's first choice of Mr. Wrong. There is something disconcerting about this quirky, edgy heroine finally getting her ultimate fulfillment from a Prince Charming type. But, this might be a generic criticism applicable to *all* feel-good romantic comedies. (Carlos Colorado) |
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