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Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
The wanton sex goddess is back!

Actors: Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Jacinda Barrett, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Celia Imrie, Sally Phillips, James Callis, Shirley Henderson
Director: Beebon Kidron
Screenwriters: Andrew Davies, Helen Fielding, Adam Brooks, Richard Curtis

Reviewed by Dawn Capp

This sequel to Bridget Jones' Diary lives up to its name. It definitely takes the audience to the very edge of reason, and maybe just a bit over. However, its inanity manages to become endearing, mostly due to Renée Zellweger's lovable and ultimately believable performance.  

"Dear Diary, Don't forget to buy Mark a new reindeer jumper for Xmas."

In fact, Zellweger does such a good job playing the adorably bumbling Bridget Jones that it's hard to believe the casting of Zellweger in the first movie met with quite a bit of resistance in England. Critics argued that, not only was Zellweger an American (gasp!) she was far too thin to play the chubby Bridget. Zellweger couldn't really do anything about the American part, but she definitely proved the critics wrong about her weight. What a trooper! It's not easy for any woman to have her cellulite shown to the millions of people around the world on the big screen. 

Oh, and yes, just for the record, this movie is, without a doubt, a chick flick, meaning women everywhere will likely connect with Bridget Jones. In fact, coming out of the movie theater, the woman behind me told her boyfriend, "I liked it. I think because she reminds me of myself. She's smart, tries her best, and periodically makes an absolute idiot out of herself." 

The man she had her arm wrapped around wisely commented, "No. No. No. You don't do that at all!" Ah, what a wise young man. He must have been paying attention at least part of the time in the theater. Perhaps he's gained some wisdom into the inner workings of the female mind. 

All that goes to show that Bridget Jones has something for both genders. Women will likely see reflections of themselves in Bridget, while men will, if they're really smart, take a pad and pen and jot down "what not to do" notes for future reference. 

Not to be forgotten, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth deliver commendable performances as the men in Bridget's life, and for the shallower members of the female population, there's even a bit of man-on-man water wrestling. Unfortunately, neither of them were wearing white T-shirts at the time.  

On the other hand, Bridget gets her share of drenching, and with the extra weight she had to put on for this movie, her, um, wiggly parts become quite obvious. In fact, I think most men in the audience probably spent their time looking at a point just below Zellweger's adorable and just slightly pudgy face. Heck, there were times when even I had a hard time taking my eyes off her endowments. 

Unfortunately , this sequel parallels the original just a little too closely, though it does have a few jolts along the way, including a short stint of dark comedy in a Thailand prison. Even I shed a tear for poor Bridget and her misfortune at that point. 

Another downside to the movie is the focus placed on Bridget Jones' being fat, mostly because she's not. In fact, many women have no doubt prayed nightly to be that "fat." Looking at Bridget Jones in a short black mini-skirt, and then picturing myself in that same outfit, I almost wanted to flee from the theater and throw myself into oncoming traffic. 

Another notable flaw with this sequel is the portrayal of Bridget Jones as even ditzier and more inept than she was the first time around, making her just slightly less believable as a character. However, Zellweger still manages to make Bridget Jones adorably irresistable, if not just a little bit pathetic. Overall, it'll take a hard, cynical heart not to find something endearing in this generally delightful movie. 

Rating:

(3 out of 4 stars)

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