I quite enjoyed the original Bridget Jones' Diary. Yes, it was soppy and a definitive 'mum' film, but it was amusing and well-written with some good dialogue and performances. The second film is The Edge of Reason and I can't help but quite enjoy it, too. For it is, essentially, the same movie. The characters are all the same - with one exception, the entire cast were in the first film. The dialogue style is the same. The direction is the same, despite being a different director. The plot is almost the same. Some scenes from the first film have parallels in this film. I don't know if this is deliberate continuity, homage or just plain bad writing. The film begins six weeks after the close of the last one. Thirtysomething Londoner Bridget (Zellwegger) is now in a relationship with stuffy lawyer Mark Darcy (Firth). Then, as things will, it all goes wrong. I'm not quite sure why, although neither are great people. Firth's character is a stiff and Zellwegger's is a paranoid loon, but then I never was much of a romantic, was I? Mark's attractive assistant appears to play a major role in the breakdown in relations, although of course things aren't what they seem. Things progress in the typically romantic comedy fashion from here, especially when Daniel Cleaver (Grant), Bridget's old boss, returns to attempt to win her back. Grant's character has many of the best lines, but he's barely in the film at all, just a couple of key scenes. There are some amusing scenes, notably one set inside a Thai prison (yes, a Thai prison) and some snappy dialogue. And there is another realistic fight scene like the first film, with more scratching and slapping than actual fisticuffs. As with the first film, the performances are excellent. Zellwegger is convincing as a slightly overweight Briton - her accent is quite flawless and it's shocking to hear her speak in her natural, Texan accent after seeing this movie. Grant is engaging but he always is, even if he is playing the same character he always does, albeit with a caddish bent. Firth is basically annoying, but that's probably because his character is lifeless and stuffy. It's probably best to see Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason as a continuation of the first film rather than a sequel, although a remake might also be an appropriate label, given as how the films are so similar. It's therefore easy to say that if you enjoyed the first film, you'll enjoy the second, and if you didn't, you won't. Given the similarities between the two, that's a complete no-brainer.
Review of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
