Tag: Renee Zellweger

‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ (2025) Review

Spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution!

Twenty-four years after we first met Bridget, we finally come to the final page in her diary. In the last chapter, Bridget had Mark Darcy’s baby, after which the two finally got married. Now, Bridget (Renee Zellweger) is a widow, having lost Mark four years earlier when he was killed during a humanitarian mission in Sudan. She’s raising their two small children, Billy and Mable, and is as frazzled and awkward as ever, still processing her grief.

As reluctant as Bridget is to start dating again, she’s finally pushed onto Tinder by her friend and colleague, Miranda. There, she starts chatting with Rockster (Leo Woodall), a much younger man she met in the park when she got stuck climbing a tree. Classic Bridget. They begin a hot and heavy relationship, but their age gap is the elephant in the room that can’t be ignored forever.

I will admit that I was not looking forward to this movie. In fact, I wasn’t sure I would watch it at all. Knowing Mark Darcy’s fate, I didn’t see the point. Bridget and Mark’s love story has been at the heart of every movie in this franchise, and why would I want to watch Bridget move on with someone else? But you all know me. I love my romantic comedies, and I love Bridget. I’m glad I decided to give Mad About the Boy a chance. My fear stemmed from Mark being a distant memory as Bridget moved on, but Mark is very present throughout the entirety of the film.

We see glimpses of him when Bridget recalls small moments, such as him tucking their children into bed. Their son, Billy, is still struggling with the loss of his father as well, something Bridget is only made aware of when his science teacher, Scott Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), points it out during a school parent night. Mad About the Boy ensures the audience knows how much Mark Darcy meant to Bridget, and the fans of these novels and films. Perhaps she’s finally allowing herself some happiness after his death, but that love will always be there.

Mad About the Boy is a romantic comedy, yes, but it’s definitely more poignant and emotional than the three films that came before it. There is some treading on old familiar ground – Bridget in a love triangle once again – and an age-gap romance that doesn’t exactly bring anything fresh to the popular trope. Leo Woodall is perfectly fine as the young Rockster. He’s cute and makes Bridget feel desirable again. He’s the catalyst Bridget needs to start taking care of herself and perhaps open herself to the possibility of finding love again. But we all know it’s not going to be with Rockster.

Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Scott Wallaker is perhaps the new stand-in for Mark. He’s a buttoned-up teacher and a bit aloof when he meets Bridget. There’s not an instant dislike there as there was with Mark, but Wallaker certainly keeps his cards close to his chest as he and Bridget dance around one another during some awkward encounters. No one is ever going to top Mark Darcy as a love interest, but thankfully, the film doesn’t try to. Ejiofor and Zellweger have charming chemistry, and it’s worth seeing Bridget have (another) happy ending.

I will admit I cried during Mad About the Boy. A lot. I think I cried more than I laughed, though that’s not to say the film doesn’t have its humorous moments. But this movie has less to do with romance and comedy and more to do with Bridget navigating single motherhood, aging, and grief. It’s not all sadness and tears, however! There’s undoubtedly plenty of fan service, with callbacks and brief cameos by characters who amused us in previous films.

Most notably, Hugh Grant returns as the devilishly charming Daniel Cleaver (presumed dead in Bridget Jones’s Baby). Now he’s “Uncle Daniel” and occasionally babysits for Bridget. He’s still a playboy, just a less sleazy one. He and Bridget seemed to have fallen into a platonic relationship that works for both of them. Seeing Grant back was nice, even though I couldn’t help but wonder whether Daniel and Mark had patched things up before Mark’s death, or whether Bridget and Daniel’s friendship grew out of their shared grief.

Zellweger herself shines again as Bridget, effortlessly falling back into the role that earned her an Academy Award nomination in 2001. As much as I adored her love story with Mark, it was always Zellweger who carried the films as our awkward, hapless heroine. She does the same again in Mad About the Boy. While watching this movie, I realized it was Bridget. I was tuning in to watch it, and she made it worthwhile.

It’s clear that this is the last chapter in Bridget Jones’s story, and while it’s extremely bittersweet, it’s also surprisingly satisfying.

Watched: 02/23/2025
Notable Song: Mad About the Boy by Dinah Washington

Rating:

02/23/2025
‘Me, Myself & Irene’ (2000) Review

Me, Myself & Irene Synopsis: A nice-guy cop with Dissociative Identity Disorder must protect a woman on the run from a corrupt ex-boyfriend and his associates.

Rhode Island state trooper Charlie Baileygates (Jim Carrey) is a nice guy. A really nice guy. He is so nice that everyone around him takes advantage of his non-confrontational manner. When years of being pushed around in town finally come to a head, Charlie develops a split personality named Hank. Hank is aggressive, sexist, and a jerk. However, he deals with confrontations that Charlie is unwilling or unable to.

Charlie manages to keep Hank under control with medication, but when he’s assigned to take a woman named Irene (Reneé Zellweger) back to Upstate New York to answer for a supposed hit-and-run, Charlie finds himself on the run with Irene from her ex-boyfriend, who has mob connections and has been involved in illegal activities. He also forgets to take his medication, which means Irene has to deal with Charlie and Hank.

The bad? Me, Myself & Irene is not that funny. It has some funny moments, but more often than not, the jokes don’t land. I’m well aware that this movie was released in 2000, so I tried to keep that in mind while watching it, but I don’t know that I would have found it terribly funny even back then.

With a tenuous plot, most of the movie depends on Jim Carrey’s comedic prowess. He excels at playing both characters, and his physical comedy keeps his performance entertaining. The highlight is when Charlie and Hank fight each other in one body. Carrey pulls it off because watching the two bicker and fight is much more enjoyable than when he’s just playing one character or the other.

Zellweger is the straight man here, and she handles it well for the most part. It probably can’t be easy to go toe to toe with someone like Carrey, but Zellweger pulls it off. They have decent chemistry, which keeps you invested enough in their journey and what may happen to them. That was the highlight for me.

Sure, it’s the Farrelly brothers, so I should know better, but they also gave us Fever Pitch, and There’s Something About Mary, so I don’t feel like it’s out of line for me to keep my fingers crossed anytime I watch one of their films. With such a great cast, including Chris Cooper and Richard Jenkins, I suppose I wanted a little bit more in terms of story and character development, but this movie settled for something wholly unsatisfying instead.

Watched: 05/15/2022
Notable Song: The World Ain’t Slowin’ Down by Ellis Paul

Rating:

05/18/2022
‘Down With Love’ (2003) Review

Down With Love is about a woman trying to make it in a man’s world. Or is she? Barbara Novak has just written a book called Down With Love, a self-help book for women, freeing them from love, encouraging sex without love, and the idea of replacing a need for men with other things.

The book becomes a worldwide sensation, irritating men worldwide, including magazine writer and ladies’ man Catcher Block. Catcher becomes determined to beat Barbara at her own game and prove she wants what every woman wants – love and marriage.

Down with Love is a shrewd comedy that gleefully imitates the no-sex comedy genre Rock Hudson and Doris Day made famous in the early 1960s. I saw this movie many years ago, so my memories of it were vague before I re-watched it. It’s so colorful and peppy, yet it has a strangely chaotic energy.

Ewan McGregor is so smoothly charming as Catcher. I loved his scenes with David Hyde Pierce, who plays Catcher’s boss and sidekick Peter. David Hyde Pierce was/is one of my favorite parts of Frasier, so I was delighted to see him in this movie. His comedic timing is unparalleled, and he plays off McGregor so well.

Renee Zellweger does a fine job as the headstrong, romantic-at-heart Barbara. There were moments when I thought she might be miscast, but then I realized my lukewarm response to her in this film had more to do with the equally lukewarm chemistry between her and McGregor. I wasn’t feeling it. I preferred the scenes with their best friends to the ones where they were with each other. Sarah Paulson plays Barbara’s friend and editor, Vikki, who has a romantic subplot with Peter. She’s terrific, and I love seeing how her career has evolved since 2003.

Even so, I still thought Down With Love was fun. It’s just a whirlwind of color and vintage frocks, even if it’s sometimes a bit too self-aware. I would say that even if you watch this movie and you’re not feeling it, it’s really worth watching it to the end, where Barbara spouts a two-minute-long monologue breaking down the “plot.” It’s hilarious and impressive, and Catcher’s reaction is priceless.

Down With Love works better as a pure comedy than a romantic one, which I blame on the “meh” chemistry between Zellweger and McGregor. I enjoyed it, and if I saw it on television again, I’d probably stop watching it.

Watched: 03/22/2022
Notable Song: Down With Love by Holly Palmer and Michael Bublé

Rating:

04/01/2022
‘New in Town’ (2009) Review

New in Town Synopsis: Lucy Hill, an ambitious executive, lives the high life in Miami. She loves climbing the corporate ladder as well as all the material goods that her success can buy. When she is offered a temporary assignment to restructure a factory in a backwater town, she eagerly accepts and anticipates a huge promotion in the pipeline. However, what Lucy gets is a life-changing experience and romance with the man of her dreams.

Lucy Hill is an ambitious consultant in Miami looking for a promotion to VP of her company. When she reluctantly agrees to oversee a restructuring of a manufacturing plant, she’s further dismayed to learn that she’ll need to be onsite in a small Minnesota town called New Ulm. Almost immediately, Lucy is at odds with Stu, the plant’s foreman, Ted, the Union Rep, and the entire community of New Ulm, not to mention the bitter cold, which Lucy is not prepared for.

Eventually, she begins to accept the community’s quirks and hospitality while falling for Ted, a widower with a teenage daughter. However, she still has a job to do, and her boss tells Lucy that they’re going to close the plant and essentially bankrupt the town.

New in Town is a rom-com that follows the rom-com handbook fairly well. Unfortunately, that also means there’s not a lot of originality to the story. That doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable, however. I thought Renée Zellweger handled the “fish out of water” trope pretty well with her portrayal of Lucy. As expected, a high-powered businesswoman who drives a BMW and has a home overlooking the ocean can’t possibly fathom small-town eccentricities. She looks down upon them and is desperate to return to city life. Also, as expected, Lucy becomes humbled as the community accepts her.

Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. have pretty decent chemistry, and I thoroughly enjoyed Lucy’s scenes with her scrapbooking, tapioca-loving secretary, Blanche (Siobhan Fallon Hogan). JK Simmons’s presence is always welcome in any movie, and he provided Lucy with a much-needed non-weather-related adversary.

There are some genuinely funny moments in New in Town, complete with a romantic kiss between our two leads, followed by applause. But all in all, I found it to be… fine. Mostly okay. It was predictable but enjoyable enough that I was happy to have watched it again. It doesn’t hurt that Harry Connick Jr is bearded and in flannel for most of the movie. *insert heart eyes here*

This isn’t a movie I’m going to tell you to run and watch, but if you’re ever bored and want some small-town coziness where you don’t want to think too much, New in Town would be a good choice.

Watched: 01/16/2021
Notable Song: That’s Where It Is by Carrie Underwood

Rating:

01/16/2021
‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ (2016) Review

As big of a fan of Bridget Jones’s Diary, I somehow missed seeing Bridget Jones’s Baby in the theater when it premiered in 2016. Rewatching The Edge of Reason this month, I realized I probably skipped the third movie because of my disappointment in the second. Not to mention the fact that Hugh Grant had dropped out, and I think I was afraid of Patrick Dempsey being brought on to play Daniel Cleaver Lite. Plus, how much more Bridget and Mark drama could I really handle at this point?

In any case, after rewatching The Edge of Reason, I realized Sharon Maguire had returned to the director’s chair for Bridget Jones’s Baby, so I was eager to give it a try and see if it could recapture some of the magic of the first film. While it’s not quite on par, Bridget Jones’s Baby was a solid, satisfying ending to Bridget’s story.

Bridget (Renee Zellweger) is now forty-three, pleased that she is at her “ideal weight,” and has a pretty decent job as a television producer. She and Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) have, at some point, broken up, and Bridget spots him and his wife Camilla at the funeral for presumed dead Daniel Cleaver.

Shazzer (Sally Phillips) and Jude (Shirley Henderson) are both married with children, and Tom (James Callis) is adopting with his partner Eduardo, leaving Bridget as the lone singleton in their circle. She decides to spend a weekend with her single friend and colleague, Miranda (Sarah Solemani), at an outdoor music festival, where she meets Jake, played by Dempsey. After a lot of alcohol and mistaking his yurt for her own, Bridget and Jake sleep together.

And, of course, at the christening of Jude’s baby, Bridget runs into Mark, who reveals he and Camilla are getting divorced, and he misses Bridget. Lingering feelings and familiarity bring them together, though Bridget leaves a note with Mark the following day explaining that she doesn’t think the two of them trying again would be a good idea, given how they were unable to get over the finish line for the past ten years. It’s a mature move for Bridget, who is perhaps afraid of getting hurt again. Unfortunately, thanks to some old, “eco-friendly” condoms that failed, Bridget finds herself pregnant and has no idea who the father is.

After some typical Bridget-esque shenanigans and embarrassment, Bridget comes clean with Jake and Mark about their circumstances. Both men handle the news differently, but they both want to be there for Bridget, and it’s clear they want to be the father. Bridget Jones’s Baby could have made Jake a jerk to make the choice easy, but it was refreshing that Jake was polite, sweet, and interested in Bridget even before she told him she was pregnant. He’s a millionaire who made his fortune with an algorithm that helps people find love, and of course, he and Bridget are 97% compatible. Oh yeah, he’s also pretty great with kids.

Mark is, well, Mark. Still a bit snobbish and emotionally stunted, but still very clearly in love with Bridget – his compatibility with Bridget? An abysmal 8%. But the Bridget Jones’s Baby bonus is Emma Thompson, who shows up in the wonderfully cheeky role of Bridget’s droll OBGYN. She is the only one to tell Bridget she doesn’t need either man and that she could do this on her own if she really wanted to, despite the apparent amusement she finds in Bridget’s unique situation.

Maguire keeps Bridget Jones’s Baby moving along, following the same stylish structure that worked so well in the first film. While there is less humiliation to snicker at, it’s still hilarious as Bridget comes to terms with this late-life change. Zellweger is as delightful as ever, and even after ten years, she hasn’t missed a beat. She is still the same old Bridget, but with some traces of wisdom and a desire to own who she is and be content with it, with or without a man.

Bridget remains as likable as ever. Despite a few uneven patches, Bridget Jones’s Baby will still resonate with fans, even if they were as disappointed with the second installment as I was. I won’t lie; I was desperate for my Mark and Bridget happy ending, and I might have gotten a little misty-eyed in the last ten minutes or so. So few rom-com trilogies make it to the big screen, and Bridget, as a character, is so near and dear to my heart. I’m glad she got the kind of send-off I wanted for her.

Watched: 03/17/2019
Notable Song: Still Falling For You by Ellie Goulding

Rating:

03/17/2019
‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’ (2004) Review

When I saw this movie in 2004, I recall not enjoying it as much as the first film. Yes, I still adored Renee Zellweger’s performance, and I will always swoon over Colin Firth as Mark Darcy, but something was missing from Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. I remember feeling the same way when I read the novel, and while I appreciated the changes they made from novel to screen in Bridget Jones’s Diary, the changes in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason didn’t work for me the same way.

The Edge of Reason picks up where the original film left us, with Bridget and Mark engrossed in the blissful first weeks of their new relationship. It’s clear they’re in love, but doubts soon creep in as Bridget realizes she’s not as worldly or sophisticated as Mark’s posh friends and colleagues.

Not to mention that he’s a (gasp) conservative voter and has a beautiful young intern named Rebecca (Jacinda Barrett) constantly on his arm, sparking jealousy and insecurity within Bridget. She has difficulty communicating this to Mark, who also has difficulty communicating much of anything to Bridget. After a few predictable misunderstandings and a pregnancy scare that reveals their different ideas for the future, Bridget breaks up with Mark.

From there, the movie abruptly changes course, sending Bridget to Thailand with Daniel Cleaver (devilishly smarmy Hugh Grant), where the exotic beaches and romantic moon tempt Bridget into giving Daniel another chance. Then we get some sluggish nonsense where Bridget is framed for drug smuggling, and that’s when I began to remember why I hadn’t liked this movie in 2004.

To be fair, I did enjoy it more during this rewatch, but only in the first half, where we were dealing with Bridget and Mark’s growing pains. In romantic comedies, we always wonder what happens after the ‘happily ever after’, and The Edge of Reason had the potential to show us, even if it meant veering away from the novel completely. Instead, we get a silly second half that goes from mildly silly to just plain ridiculous.

The performances are still fantastic, which made the movie tolerable. Even with a shaky script, Zellweger still perfectly embodies Bridget’s charm. Firth and Grant stay true to their characters, and while not as iconic as in the first film, Mark and Daniel’s second fight in a water fountain is still as fun, probably because it’s a delight to see Mark show some real emotion, even if it’s pent-up anger and resentment.

If you’re a fan of Bridget Jones’s Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is undoubtedly worth watching, but it simply lacks the heart that made the first film so successful. I’m not sure whether this is because of the script or because the movie was directed by a different director. I know that Sharon Maguire did return to the director’s chair for Bridget Jones’s Baby, so I’m hoping that the conclusion to the trilogy will be a much more enjoyable one than this was.

Watched: 03/09/2019
Notable Song: Crazy In Love by Beyoncé

Rating:

03/09/2019
‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ (2001) Review

Fearful of becoming a spinster, Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) decides to get her life under control. And so, in the new year, she resolves to quit drinking and smoking, lose weight, and find a good man. She also decides to start a diary to track her journey of self-discovery and improvement. Resolutions are not always easy to maintain, and Bridget has difficulty becoming the sophisticated career woman she’s striving to be.

She is awkward and tends to stick her foot in her mouth; her mother can be pretty flighty and meddlesome, and she’s not taken seriously at work. One positive aspect of her life is the flirtatious advances from her handsome boss, Daniel (Hugh Grant). When their relationship spectacularly bottoms out, Bridget turns her life around again. And she means it this time.

Based on the immensely popular book, there was a bit of an uproar when American-born Zellweger was cast as the British heroine. Bridget could have easily come across as unlikeable and a bit of a mess with the wrong actress. Instead, Bridget is still a bit of a mess, but thanks to Zellweger’s charming portrayal, she’s pretty sympathetic and, more importantly, relatable.

Her weaknesses are quite apparent throughout the movie, but they’re never unforgivable because Bridget learns from her mistakes and tries to fix them as she can. She has two significantly different but entertaining relationships with Daniel and Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), an ex-friend of Daniel’s who is a rather serious barrister that Bridget’s mother tries to set her up with at a holiday party (with disastrous results).

While you know Daniel is not right for her, Zellweger and Grant still have some fun scenes together, from work flirtations to a weekend visit to the countryside. Like Bridget, you believe Daniel has genuine feelings for her, so it’s quite easy for you to feel Bridget’s devastation at the appearance of Daniel’s American girlfriend.

Grant is pretty charismatic as Daniel, and thankfully, he’s not the stammering, bumbling Hugh Grant we see in some of his other romantic comedies. Daniel is confident and well aware of how charming he is. You can see why Bridget is attracted to him, but there is also something a bit off about Daniel, and Grant can play a jerk as well as he can play the insecure, goofy leading man.

Enter Mark Darcy (swoon). He’s stoic and somewhat (defensively) rude at times, but he’s honest with Bridget. Mark has experienced his own heartbreak, and Firth does a fantastic job of conveying Darcy’s obvious discomfort with verbalizing his feelings for Bridget. Honestly, he doesn’t need to say the words because all it takes is a look for you to see precisely what Darcy is feeling. Bridget and Mark’s chemistry isn’t as easy and carefree as her chemistry with Daniel, but that’s the point. It’s complicated and much harder to pinpoint due to misunderstandings and the fact that they got off on the wrong foot. Deeper feelings here go beyond the possibility of a simple fling.

The rest of the cast of Bridget Jones’s Diary is just as fantastic. Bridget’s parents (Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent) are dealing with their marriage falling apart, and so Bridget is dealing with that on top of her own problems. Being an only child, Bridget has to ping-pong between her mother and father, and she has some beautiful scenes both apart and together. Bridget’s friends are endearing and humorous (James Callis, Shirley Henderson, and Sally Phillips), and I would have loved to see more of them, as we do in the book.

Honestly, I never get tired of watching this movie. Zellweger has taken on plenty of dramatic roles (and won an Oscar for Cold Mountain), but she has such talent as a comedic actress that I don’t think we get to see much of her anymore. She’s a joy to watch as Bridget, even in the less entertaining sequels.

Bridget Jones’s Diary could have been zany and over the top, but director Sharon Maguire keeps it fresh and on pace, never trapping it within the generic confines of a typical rom-com. It probably helped that Helen Fielding (author of Bridget Jones’s Diary) and Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) helped adapt the screenplay. There are changes from the novel, but those changes work and, dare I say, improve the film.

Bridget Jones’s Diary is a rom-com classic. One of the select few that do the genre justice.

Watched: 02/20/2019
Notable Song: It’s Raining Men by Geri Halliwell

Rating:

02/21/2019