Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Excellent, a Must See

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It was the cast that drew me into seeing 'Bridget Jones's Diary', although there were doubts as to whether Renee Zellwegger would work, as well as being familiar with the books, finding them entertaining enough reads if not among the best personally read, and that Richard Curtis has done some other great work.'Bridget Jones's Diary' is a pretty darn good adaptation of the book, it doesn't have everything included (that would have been a tall order) but the essence and what made the book work are captured incredibly well. This said, it is a very good film on its own terms, it can be dismissed (and has done) as a chick flick and a film just for women. It is much more than both those things, being a film that tries to appeal to both sexes and having more depth than your average romantic comedy/chick flick.Maybe 'Bridget Jones's Diary' doesn't cover any new ground. Maybe it doesn't break any conventions. That didn't matter to me, because whether it does matter with any film, TV series, episode etc. is wholly dependent on how well it executes everything else, everything else is executed with very little to complain about.Some parts were a little contrived and there is a slightly draggy section around half-way, but these were minor issues really.'Bridget Jones's Diary' is attractive visually in a film that doesn't require epic sweeping cinematography or opulence, but still manages to be beautifully shot, cohesively edited and have striking locations. Personally really liked the music, with a mix of the old greats and more contemporary performers, and it fits well.A good script always helps, and it's the script that's one of the main good things here. The humour can be daft but is often hilarious and full of wit, while the romantic parts are sentimental but never mawkish or overdone and the more drama-oriented moments have an air of poignancy. Much of the film is also deliciously charming and to me relatable. Bridget manages to be more endearing here than she is in the book, to me she was easy to sympathise with and feel pity for regardless of her faults and the numerous things she does wrong, and quite a lot of us will find a lot of ourselves in her character.Even if new ground is not covered, bright and breezy pacing and remarkably deft directing from Sharon Maguire in her directing debut help make that not count against the film.Renee Zellwegger is fantastic in the title role, any initial doubts were completely subsided after seeing a performance of immense charm and that was both funny, awkward in the adorable sense and sympathetic. She does a good job with the accent too.Cast against type, Hugh Grant still brings a smarmy charm so despite being a cad (which he brings out without seeming ill at ease at all) you do see what Bridget sees in him. Colin Firth is reserved and understated but injects the right amount of dignity, charisma and charm to not make the character dull in a role that seemed like it was written with him in mind (that his character's name is a play on from his most famous role, Mr Darcy in the wonderful 1995 'Pride and Prejudice', further gives that impression).The rest of the cast are a whos who of veteran British talent, all doing reliably solid jobs, with the always good Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent coming off best.Overall, a delight and much more than a chick flick with something for everyone regardless of gender or age if given a chance. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Bridget Jones's Diary is a somewhat amusing movie about an English woman who wants to change her life because she finds herself in her 30s and still single. I must say though that Renée Zellweger does a wonderful job and earns her Oscar nomination for portraying Bridget Jones. Colin Firth and Hugh Grant fit their roles well also. The script is pretty average for a film like this, I don't know why but I wasn't really struck with the writing like a lot of people were, although I did like hearing Bridget's narration throughout the movie. And there were also some pretty genuinely funny moments. Now with all that said, that still doesn't mean that this romantic comedy is the best of its kind, in my opinion it's not. There were just some scenes that I thought lagged on too long and other parts that were dull. I do think that there are better romantic comedies to choose from out there, but it is worth just one watch just to see Renée Zellweger, because she really shines, if only the rest of the movie would've kept up with her. 6/10.

Movies are often made with an audience in mind. "Bridget Jones's Diary" was not made for the American male college students of the world. Us American male college students can enjoy movies like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Animal House", which were both made to play with our greatest dreams. Bridget Jones's Diary had middle-aged UK women in mind, and it's hard to imagine one would like this movie if he or she did not fit that exact profile.Bridget Jones's Diary is the story of a single woman who doesn't want to be single anymore. Two suitors fight for her hand.What really killed this movie was the character of Bridget Jones herself. The woman is not functional. In everything she does, Jones is cartoonishly inept. This ineptitude quickly stops being cute and becomes totally insufferable for the viewer. All of the movie's humor comes from Jones finding a way to embarrass herself. Sometimes she gives an awkward speech at a public event, sometimes she accidentally offends her friends and coworkers, et cetera. This constant use of cringe humor is lazy and unfunny.Why are there two men fighting over this woman? Both men are handsome and very successful in their work. These might even be considered "dream guys." Firth's character is handsome, rich, and a pseudo-famous lawyer. What does he see in Jones, a woman who constantly offends him and makes a fool of herself? Who knows. The movie sure as hell didn't give a good reason for it.I came into this movie expecting a lighthearted laugh, but I got a stream of annoying humor and nonsense. My own biases prevented me from liking the movie to some extent, but I would recommend any viewer to skip this one.

The titular Bridget Jones is in her early thirties, smokes too much, drinks too much, thinks she is overweight and most worryingly for her single. Her mother tries to set her up with stuffy lawyer Mark Darcy but she takes an instant dislike to him. Instead she ends up dating her boss, Daniel Cleaver, who is clearly a cad and a bounder… who claims Darcy once took the woman he was engaged to. Over the course of the film she comes to realise she is with the wrong man but by then it might be too late.I probably wouldn't have picked up this film if it hadn't been on the 50p bargain shelf at the local charity shop… I'm glad that I did though as it was a lot of fun. There are plenty of great laugh out loud moments and Texan Renée Zellweger does a great job as the English Bridget. She is ably supported by a cast of well-known British actors; most notably Colin Firth and Hugh Grant as Darcy and Cleaver… it was particularly fun watching Grant play the cad rather than the sympathetic male lead; not that he plays the two all that differently! It was also a highlight to see the two scrapping; not a well-choreographed fight but a believable brawl with them kicking, punching and grabbing each other in a messy but realistic… and hilarious way. Overall an enjoyable way to pass an hour and a half; it may be considered a bit of a 'chick-flick' but blokes can enjoy it too!