Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Ealasaid/ November 15, 2004/ Movie Reviews and Features

Directed by: Beeban Kidron
Starring: Renee Zellwegger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
Rated: R for language and some sexual content.
Parental Notes: There’s some here to offend, but not much. It’s mostly language and a bit of naughty but not graphic sexuality.


The problem with following a couple after the “happily ever after” is that the romance loses much of its charm. “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” suffers from this. Where Bridget’s (Renee Zellwegger) romance with James Darcy (Colin Firth) was sweet and hopeful in the first film, in the second we are made to see just how mismatched they really are. Although at bottom this is a sweet and funny followup to the popular “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” it isn’t quite as good as the original and relies a bit too heavily on Chick Flick Logic.
According to Chick Flick Logic, opposites attract for all the right reasons, the right guy really does love the heroine even if it makes no actual sense, the heroine will assume her man is cheating on her regardless of evidence, and when bad things happen, the heroine’s plucky nature will help her make the best of it.
The plot is pure Chick Flick: Bridget, deliriously happy with her man Darcy, becomes suspicious when he starts spending a lot of time with a gorgeous girl from his law firm. When things between them get really rough, she finds herself being approached by the caddish Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), who wants to rekindle their romance and swears he’s reformed his womanizing ways. Bridget is sweet and plucky through it all, even when she winds up, through some genuine foolishness, in a Thai prison, and we know she’ll come out all right.
This is all light fluffiness and reality only intrudes a couple of times, as when Bridget complains to her fellow prisoners that Darcy mistreated her and is regaled with tales of real mistreatment. “Bridget Jones’s Diary” was sweet and funny and let singletons everywhere imagine that there really might be a Mr. Darcy out there somewhere for them. “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” seems to be telling us that it doesn’t matter whether or not you’re suited to someone; if you really love him, stay out of the way of the Wrong Man, and generally follow your instincts, everything will turn out right.
This is the kind of movie that falls easily into the guilty pleasure category. It seems destined to be enjoyed in groups over pints of ice cream and between bouts of complaining about boyfriends. This isn’t to say it’s a bad film; it’s not. Zellwegger and Firth give their all, and there’s a marvelous scene between Darcy and the sleazy Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) which is worth the price of admission. But do not go into this expecting a light, breezy comedy. This is an unabashed and unashamed Chick Flick, and it luxuriates in its status.

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