BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Most sequels are unnecessary and tend to not be as good as the predecessor. The only reason they're made is because of the money the previous film received and it's an opportunity to make more.

However, Bridget Jones's Diary was based on the popular 1996 book of the same name by Helen Fielding who wrote a sequel in 1999, The Edge Of Reason. This is why this sequel was necessary. It's not an excuse to make more money, it's because the first film and the books were so popular and successful that this was made. Fortunately, I would say that this is just as good as the first.

The film opens not that long after the events of Bridget Jones's Diary and the title character (Renée Zellweger) is happily in love with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Unfortunately, after Bridget expects Mark to propose and he doesn't, the pair end their relationship. This brings the charming womaniser, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), into the picture. Bridget is forced to work with Daniel and reconsiders who she truly wants to be with: Mark or Daniel?

Bridget Jones's Diary ends with Bridget and Mark starting the relationship and it left me wanting a bit more. I wanted to see more of their relationship. The Edge Of Reason shows both the highs and lows of Bridget's relationship with Mark. Many couples will be able to relate to this and they'll be happy to know that no relationship is perfect.

Zellweger gives another strong performance as the relatable Bridget. In the previous film, Bridget's mistakes  brought comic relief to the film but it was because of how she learnt from these mistakes that we liked her. There's no difference here. Bridget think she finally has the perfect boyfriend in Mark but it isn't until after they break up that she realises that perfection doesn't exist. 

Firth and Grant are both brilliant as their characters. Firth brings comedic elements to Mark who we all expect to be serious but is actually a really funny and sweet person. We all know that he's the right boyfriend for Bridget. This is why we cringe a little when Bridget gets with Daniel during their business trip in Thailand as we know he's still a womaniser. Fortunately, Bridget sees right through him and ends their relationship for good.

The holiday in Thailand is one of my favourite scenes as we see Bridget accidentally get high after consuming magic mushrooms in a omelette. It's hilarious to watch Bridget high.
I think the majority of people who enjoyed watching Bridget Jones's Diary will enjoy watching The Edge Of Reason. It has just the same amount of laughs and watching Bridget's relationships with both Mark and Daniel is compelling to watch.
Fans of the book will be happy to know that, although the part from the book where Bridget interviews Colin Firth doesn't feature in the film for obvious reasons, it's available on the bonus features of the DVD. It's hilarious as Bridget has a crush on Colin Firth and keeps asking him about his character, Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice. This is definitely worth a watch.
7/10
Read my review of Bridget Jones's Diary here.
Read my review of Bridget Jones's Baby here.

BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Bridget Jones's Diary is one of the most popular romantic comedies to date and that's mainly because of its title character as portrayed by Renee Zellweger. Bridget is an average woman in her early thirties struggling to find love, give up smoking and drinking and lose weight. However, that all changes when she begins dating Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), her charming boss who she has had a crush on ever since she began working there. Unfortunately, Bridget soon realises he's not the perfect man she thought he was and considers dating Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), a serious barrister, after he tells Bridget that he likes her 'just the way she is'. 

It's no surprise that Zellweger was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as the likable Bridget. Many people were shocked when it was announced she was to portray Bridget, however, those doubts soon disappeared and audiences were captivated. One of the reasons why Bridget is a really likable protagonist is because many people, mainly women, could relate to her and her situations. She also has a lot of one liners which, thanks to Zellweger's comedic timing. There are a lot of other actresses who were in the running to play Bridget but I doubt any of them could've portrayed her as well as Zellweger. 

Grant is great as Daniel. In the 1990s, he starred in a few romantic comedies and always played the likable character. However, in the beginning of the film, we like Daniel and want Bridget's relationship with him to be successful but we soon hate him after he cheats on her. Like Bridget, he has a lot of funny one liners which make him likable at first.

Firth is perfect for Mark Darcy. When we first meet him, he insults Bridget accidentally in front of her and we mainly see him as an annoying and serious man. We don't believe he's suitable for Bridget until he tells her that he likes her 'just the way she is' and we see another softer side for him. 

While this film has a lot of romance, there's still plenty of comedy. The comedy mainly comes from Bridget and her way of dealing with things and her clumsiness but also from the fight sequence between Mark and Daniel towards the end of the film. This is definitely one of the most entertaining scenes in the film as we're deciding who we should be rooting for much like Bridget's friends. 

It's been almost two decades since its release and it's still one of the most popular romantic comedies today which isn't a surprise. 

Overall, with a brilliant performance from Renee Zellweger, this is one of my favourite romantic comedies.

8/10

Read my review of Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason here.

Read my review of Bridget Jones's Baby here.

BRIDGET JONES'S BABY REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 2001, Renee Zellweger surprised us all with her performance of the title character in Bridget Jones's Diary. With her convincing British accent and great comedic timing, Renee became the perfect Bridget Jones. Many women were able to relate to her because of her imperfections and that's what made her likable. In the 2004 sequel, The Edge Of Reason, we saw more of Bridget and enjoyed watching her make mistakes as that's what makes her human. Some characters in romance and comedies aren't relatable because they're made out to be perfect and always make the right choices which can be boring. However, both films proved to be enjoyable mainly because of Renee and her performance as Bridget.

When the writer of the Bridget Jones books, Helen Fielding, published the third novel in the series, Mad About The Boy, it received mixed reviews. Many were shocked after the writer decided to (*SPOILER FOR MAD ABOUT THE BOY*) kill off Bridget's main love interest, Mark Darcy and leave her with two young infants. When I read the book, I wasn't sure if it would be a successful movie adaptation as this event would cause it to be too dark. I was relieved when it was announced that there was going to be a third Bridget Jones film, the filmmakers decided to focus on Bridget being pregnant and, thus, Bridget Jones's Baby was born (no pun intended). 

It's been 12 years since the release of The Edge Of Reason but, fortunately, that doesn't effect the film. Bridget is back and she's just as funny and quirky as ever. When the film begins, she's celebrating her 43rd birthday alone due to her friends all being too busy being mothers. She is no longer with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and, as we can see clearly, things are a bit awkward between the two of them after they bump into each other at a memorial service and a christening. Bridget isn't alone for long though because, after her new friend Miranda (Sarah Solemani) takes her to a festival, she soon meets and sleeps with new love interest, Jack Quant (Patrick Dempsey). However, things take a sudden turn when, a week later, Bridget rekindles her relationship with Mark and the two also end up sleeping together. Of course, this leads to Bridget ending up pregnant but the only problem is: who's the father? Is it the charming Jack Quant? Or is it the serious Mark Darcy?

Most sequels are rarely as good as their predecessor but, fortunately, thanks to the return of Sharon Maguire (who directed Diary but not The Edge Of Reason), Bridget Jones's Baby is just as funny as its previous two installments. Almost everyone returns including: Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson  and James Callis as Bridget's friends, Shazza, Jude and Tom and Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent as Bridget's parents. However, there is one infamous character missing and that's Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver. This is due to Grant opting out of this sequel. He is replaced by Dempsey's even more charming Jack Quant who is more likable than Daniel as he never treats Bridget badly. Emma Thompson gives a memorable performance as Bridget's midwife which isn't surprising considering she co-wrote the screenplay.

There are plenty of funny scenes throughout the film but the one that stands out is definitely the scene when Bridget goes into labour and both Mark and Jack have to carry her to the hospital due to crazy traffic. What makes this the best scene is the sequence when they're trying to squeeze poor Bridget through the revolving door. This film also includes probably one of the best celebrity cameos when Bridget and Miranda meet Ed Sheeran and ask him for a photo.
There is also a really sweet scene where we are shown clips from the previous Bridget films and it makes us remember why she is so popular.

Overall, fans of Bridget Jones will certainly not be disappointed and will probably convince non-fans to give the previous installments a watch. 

7/10
Read my review of Bridget Jones's Diary here.
Read my review of Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason here.