We all know the classic story of the ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan. "Bridget Jones' Diary" successfully makes its mark by adjusting this formula with some welcome new ingredients. With a fine blend of emotional realism alongside well-orchestrated comic relief, "Diary" audiences will be glad they have chosen to make it a night at the movies.
Texan Golden Globe winner Renee Zellweger ("Nurse Betty," "Jerry Maguire") plays the title role of Bridget - a 30-something single woman on the hunt for a boyfriend while lost in London's social scene. The film spans a year in her life, starting at a Christmas party where she meets Mark Darcy, a top-notch attorney and old family friend, played by Colin Firth (of "Shakespeare in Love" fame). Although some rather uncouth remarks between the two leave them about as far from companionship as the Chinese government and a plane full of Americans, we can sense there is more of Mr. Darcy to come.
It doesn't come early enough though. Bridget's luck at love changes shortly thereafter, with the evolution of her relationship with boss/playboy Daniel Cleaver. Cleaver, played by Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant ("Notting Hill"), boosts Bridget's confidence, although he doesn't have any positive effects on her drinking and smoking habits. With oddly amusing daily logs, her weight and her cigarette and alcohol consumption tally up to surprisingly human numbers.
After a multitude of embarrassing dinner parties where she never seems able to keep her off-kilt opinion to herself, it is no surprise that Bridget's life rides like a broken-down roller-coaster. We find her embarrassed time after time. And when bad blood is revealed between former best friends Darcy and Cleaver, a street fight between the two breaks out, rivaling a comic version of a Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed fight - except in this case, they're English and don't know how to hit very well.
Needless to say, through all the twists and turns, "Diary," as adapted from Helen Fielding's international best-seller of the same name, is nothing but genuine.
With respect to the artistic creativity involved in converting one woman's inadequacies into comic therapy for women who can't miss a day of "The View," it's a relief to see a movie about a woman's struggle with social acceptance that doesn't bash males into a bloody pulp. In fact - don't tell anyone - but if you take away all the mushy filler, it's actually a movie for audiences of both sexes. Of course, guys who only see it as part of a hot date won't admit to enjoying it as much as they would have that action-packed thriller.
The catch to this romantic comedy from first-time film director Susan Maguire is that if you don't watch carefully, you may miss something special. By no exception is Bridget a woman one you should have compassion for from the beginning. She drinks and smokes too much. She can't cook. (In fact, the petite Zellweger we met in "Jerry Maguire" had to toss on 20 pounds to "fit" the role.) Her something special is the realism found in both her attributes and faults.
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Being that the film is adapted from diary entries, it's easy to see how each event makes her feel. Watch the movie, and if you don't find Bridget's dynamic personality outweighing (excuse the pun) her faults, then her outlandish wit will win you over.
For everyone who does succumb to "Diary," you must do a little studying first. The producers have decided to leave the script in English dialogue to prevent losing Bridget's flair. Instead, the only thing that might get lost now is you. It's unbelievable - those English were the ones who made the language, and they still don't know how to speak it.
In any case, mate, if you do fancy a proper film, grab a fine bloke or lass and head to the Downtown Mall to give this one a go. But hey, that's just my two cents, spend them however you'd like.
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