Bridget Jones's Diary

Sometimes reviewing a catalogue title brings an interesting perspective on the careers of the actors involved, especially when the actors are acting currently. The timeline becomes an important factor in evaluating the progression of an actor’s career. This is true for “Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001). The careers of the three leads in the film--Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, and Colin Firth--started with a bang. Zellweger starred in the critically acclaimed film “Jerry Maguire” (1996); Firth’s performance in a BBC TV series, “Pride & Prejudice” (1995) garnered positive responses from critics; and Grant became an international star after a breakthrough performance in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994).  As such, these actors became celebrity figures pretty much at the same time in their acting careers.  But almost a decade has passed since the release of “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” and during this time, Zellweger and Firth won Oscars for their performance in recent films, and Grant has managed to go unnoticed by the Academy, despite a few worthy performances. Nonetheless, these actors starred in a number of romantic movies before appearing in “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”

“Bridget Jones’s Diary” focuses on the lives of three principal characters played by Zellweger, Grant, and Firth.  Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is a lonely, thirty-year woman who longs for Mr. Perfect in her life. She worries about her weight and smoking and that she will end up being a spinster for the rest of her life. At a Christmas dinner, she meets Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Darcy’s first impression of Bridget is not good, and he perceives Bridget as a fool, unaware of herself in a social setting. After being ridiculed by Darcy, Bridget decides to write a diary in which she chronicles her life experiences, feelings, and interaction with other people around her. Along the way, Bridget finds a job at a book company and develops a loving bond with her boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). Meanwhile, Darcy crosses paths with Bridget and Daniel again, leaving Bridget with the ultimate choice of picking her Mr. Perfect.

As a British comedy, “Bridget Jones’s Diary” is solely driven by Bridget’s perspective. Even though the film is a romantic comedy, it’s a feminist piece that tries to uncover the insecurities of a person living as a single. The film opens with Bridget contemplating her life as a spinster, and she is not happy how things are going in her life. She begins to worry obsessively about her physical appearance, which according to her is a key ingredient in the dating world. Bridget’s instant attraction toward Daniel is a result of her not dating anyone in a while. While the relationship leaves her venerable, she continues to radiate happiness after seeing the possibility of not being single anymore. On the social front, Bridget opposes social norms by indulging in the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes at parties and by being unmindful of how she conducts herself.  All of this makes Bridget a quirky character in her own way, much to our pleasure.

The film presents several social scenarios from Bridget’s angle, and we are left to evaluate Bridget’s rebellious character when interacting with other people. In spite of her extrovert personality, Bridget is a practical person. But Bridget is still a woman at heart, one who falls for a charming man in a fantastical way; it’s like a dream come true. She feels blessed and enlightened with her newfound love. Leading the way in representing Bridget’s character is Renée Zellweger, who is marvelous in the title role. She is the heart and soul of the movie, and her performance makes us thoroughly interested in her character.

American Zellweger acts naturally by being fully aware that she is playing a British woman. She keeps it simple, never exhibiting superfluous character elements. Her British accent forms an integral part of Bridget’s character, and Zellweger’s casting generated a fair bit of controversy. Zellweger’s accent is well done and it is entirely believable. Nonetheless, she received an Oscar nomination for her performance in the film.

I didn’t like Grant’s character of Daniel, as it is something Grant has already played in a number of movies and also in real life. After being charged for lewd sexual behavior in 1995, Grant’s mug shot occupied the front page of every newspaper in the country. As a result, Grant’s flamboyant playboy image in real life overwhelms Daniel’s character in this film. Firth, who generated enough fame for his role in “Pride & Prejudice,” was still looking for a breakthrough role in a film. But with the film focusing mainly on the two charismatic leads, Zellweger and Grant, Firth’s screen time is small. Still, Firth is acceptable in representing a traditional British man who holds British values high. He is probably the most-serious character of the three. Indeed, all three characters are remarkably different, as they keep things interesting in the story.

Despite Zellweger’s noteworthy performance, the film takes a straightforward approach to the storytelling, specifically in the climax. The plot is a traditional love triangle seen in many movies. Apart from Zellweger’s character, the remaining two characters never become interesting. But this is a minor quibble because Zellweger’s presence is immensely entertaining and pleasurable, and it justifiably makes up for the inadequacies in the script.

Video:

Lionsgate released “Bridget Jones’s Diary” on Blu-ray as part of their deal to release Miramax titles. The 1080p transfer is rendered using an AVC codec and framed in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The film is almost ten years old, and it looks definitely better than the DVD that I watched a few years back. The film stock is in good condition. As a result, the 1080p transfer is clean and free of any blemishes like dirt, spec, and print damage. The detail and sharpness are noticeably better in HD, and the colors do stand out. The close-ups have remarkable details. Likewise, the skin tones are never a concern, as they are realistic. Oftentimes, a few close-ups are soft, probably depicting the dreamy nature of Bridget’s thoughts. However, those looking for a film-like transfer will be disappointed; the grain is only minimally retained. There is definitely some application of noise reduction. The good news: faces retain their naturalistic look, and the detail is consistently decent.

Audio:

There are no surprises in this department. We get a lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. For a dialogue-driven movie, the track performs well. The dialogue is clear throughout, with mid tones getting a boost. The film’s score activates the rear channels, but for the most part, the audio is presented through the front channels.

Extras:

All the bonus features from the earlier Collector’s Edition DVD have been retained. First, we get an audio commentary track with director Sharon Maguire. She discusses how the book was adapted for the screen, and talks about various characters in the film. She also talks about the intricate details in the book, a book that was difficult to translate to a screenplay.

Following this, we get a short featurette, “The Young and The Mateless.”  Here, several interviewees provide their thoughts on living the single life. Next, a featurette, “Bridget Phenomenon,” shows Helen Fielding’s book, original newspaper publications, and the movie. Up next, we get a regular “making-of” featurette with the cast, director, and crew on the set. Next, we get a short irrelevant feature, “Portrait of the Make-up Artist,” showing the make-up artists from the film. We also get a set of seven deleted scenes, followed by domestic and international TV spots. We also get a featurette, “A Guide to Bridget Britishisms” that explains commonly used British phrases.

Parting Thoughts:

Minor issues aside, I enjoyed “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” even if it is too sugarcoated. As a romantic comedy, the film succeeds because of Renée Zellweger’s superb performance.  The Blu-ray release offers acceptable A/V qualities, along with the extras from the previous DVD release, and a nice price point.