Read at your own risk — this article may contain spoilers!
I have to say, it’s been a while since I watched a film that managed to make me sob aggressively and laugh until my stomach hurt all in the span of two hours. Over the 24 years that the world has known Bridget Jones and her adventures, it is safe to say that we have all come to love her and most of the other characters in the series and part of the success of this film is without a doubt the result of the aforementioned affection we have all fostered for Bridget over two decades.
In the final film of the series, we reunite with our beloved Bridget Jones, once a 31-year-old surrounded by chaos, now 51, a mum to Mabel and William and a widow, but very much still trailed by chaos.
Did we need to murder poor Mr Darcy to have another sequel? Is Bridget Jones supposed to make me cry? I could not tell you. I do think, however, the film is exceptionally amusing, and in touch with our adored protagonist’s amiable, topsy-turvy character. After all, Bridget Jones may have invented the frazzled English woman look (which is all the rage in St Andrews).
Not to mention, we can all agree it was a pleasure to see Zellweger with Hugh Grant again. (He skipped the last movie, which led to Darcy facing off with Patrick Dempsey over Bridget's affections instead.) It was especially nice to see how their characters maintained a genuinely lovely friendship through the ups and downs. Grant, along with the other returning cast members, warm the heart and deliver humour.
Therefore, I ( a self-proclaimed rom-com expert), can say with conviction that ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ is the most touching and amusing film in the saga since the debut of ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ in 2001. However, this is not her ‘happily ever after’ – we have seen those time and time again. At this point, rather, we watch her find a way up from rock bottom. Throughout this, Renée Zellweger remains as charming and relatable as ever, giving us that familiar and comfortable feeling, as if it were an old friend who just popped up on the cinema screen. I appreciated the way in which they depict her grief; after all, her strength has always been appearing real and human to her audience.
If Bridget had gone to St Andrews, she’d have been the girl sprinting to a 9 AM lecture after a long night, whilst attempting to balance a Tesco meal deal and a dissertation crisis. I wonder what she would think of 601…
Jokes aside, this film ties the bow on the Bridget Jones saga — flawless, heartfelt, and the perfect farewell to a character we’ve adored for decades, and will continue to adore for decades to come.
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