Hey folks, Harry here with another look at an upcoming film from the amazing Fred Mertz... Fred has checked out the latest Miramax flick (coming April 6) and wanted to hate it. Me? Well Miramax just sent me a pair of panties with the stamp... "Property of Bridget Jones" on the right ass check of the Granny Panties... Now I'm not sure what the hell this has to do with the movie.... if anything... but if you are an attractive local lady and would like to see if these panties would fit you.... I'm going to be holding auditions --- kinda like finding the foot to fit that glass slipper... Meanwhile, here's a look at the film....
Bridget Jones's Diary
I wanted to hate this movie. I'll admit, I heard all the rumors about Renee Zellwegger landing the part of the quintessential modern day self esteem challenged English woman because of her association with Jim Carrey. I wanted to get angry and scream "It should have been Emma Watson or Kate Winslet or Kate Beckinsale or even Dame Edna for crissakes!" because the thought of pawning off a corn fed Texas girl as a Brit just about enraged me.
But then something happened. I saw the movie. I'll be honest, for about the first 40 minutes I was resisting Renee Zellwegger as the neurotic Bridget Jones...but then a scene hits you right in the face and all of a sudden you start to forget she's Renee and understand, she is Bridget. In a nutshell, there's a scene where Bridget discovers her boss/"boyfriend" (and I use that quote loosely) played by Hugh Grant (a ladykilling rogue who knows he's the cats pajama's) cheats on Bridget with a sexy long limbed American girl. Bridget finds the other woman in the bathroom and there's a shot of Bridget's reaction, where you just feel so much for her. After that, I forgot that Renee Zellwegger was in this movie. There was only Bridget.
The film is based on the best selling novel of the same name by author Helen Fielding. Every woman's apartment I've been in who is in her 20's or early 30's has this book right next to the bed, like a bible. I haven't read it, since most men tend to stray to Nick Hornby for this type of subject matter, but after seeing the movie, I want to read the book.
The supporting cast is nothing short of brilliant. Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver is so perfect as her sleazy, sex driven boss. He sends dirty emails to Bridget in the office and the wonderful thing about his character is that he is so sure that she won't scream sexual harassment because he just thinks he knows women, or even more, knows that he's their ideal. The greatest thing about this character is he's human. We see him vulnerable, we see him as a good guy at times and we see him as an absolute prick.
Colin Firth plays Mr. Mark Darcy (hello, Pride and Prejudice anyone?) and he's Hugh's rival for Bridget's affections. When we first meet Mr. Darcy we hate him. He makes fun of Bridget and seems to cast a judgmental eye on her until later in the movie when we get a chance to see him through new eyes. Firth is one of the best actors out there. There is so much texture to his performance. It's wonderful to see an actor who can convey one emotion while his dialogue conveys the opposite. He's full of sub-text.
This film is about how first impressions can change. It's about looking for love and trying to find that one person who accepts you for who you are. The way it deals with the relationship choices we all make and the mistakes we all make is very truthful in a funny way.
The rest of the supporting cast, Bridget's friends, Mother and Father were so spot on. It's like watching a good basketball team full of role players all there to support the star player.
The direction of the film was also top notch. I can imagine how difficult it was to make a movie out of a bunch of short journal entries, but director Sharon Maguire (a first time director I think) has a very sure hand. She weaves us in and out of scenes with great control and slows us down just when the audience needs it. Her attention to detail impressed me so much. The voice over narration seems to fit perfectly (it never stands out) and there's this wonderful moment when Bridget says something she shouldn't have said and instead of hearing Bridget say in voice over (oh fuck) she scribbles it across the bottom of the screen. I absolutely loved that moment.
But what I enjoyed even more was that the entire story was from Bridget's perspective so the audience identifies directly with her. We feel her pain and joy and we really worry about her. A director who can make that work is something special. Romantic comedy is a dicey proposition in this day and age, but this is fresh and fun. My hat's off to you, Miss Maguire.
Back to Renee--Her accent is spot on. She must have worked really hard to get this down. Yes, she did gain 15 pounds and she still looks gorgeous. I think all the weight went to her breasts. She's sexy and funny and when the movie was over, I wondered if Emily Watson could have done it the way Renee did.
There's no doubt in my mind there will be bashers of this film based on her casting. For awhile I was going to be one of them. But give this movie a chance and more importantly give her a chance. She earned this part up on the screen and it's a much better than average romantic comedy with a lot of laughs and a lot of heart. It's a human story and it's not too often Hollywood hands us one of those. Go see this.
Fred Mertz
