24 years after the first movie was released, our favourite “frazzled English woman” is back to grace cinema screens. Bridget Jones returns as the ditzy, clumsy character we all know and love “just as she is,” but the fourth instalment to the series explores the darker corners of life.
The film had more than a fair share of moments of electric and infectious laughter — the woman two seats away from me cackled her way through the movie. However, it is not only the cosy romantic comedy that we are familiar with, but rather a raw portrayal of how it feels to live after grief. The film teaches us all we can do is “adapt and survive”, and the audience watches Bridget do just that. We are brought closer to Bridget as we go on her grief journey with her, witnessing how grief affects her parenting, her love life and everyday moments. Scenes when an imagined Mark Darcy appeared were true tear-jerker moments. The movie was packed full of easter eggs and references to the previous instalments, such as the iconic reindeer jumper resurfacing.
The film is plentiful with its signature risqué humour; the too-few Hugh Grant scenes received some of the loudest laughs. Bridget’s fling with Leo Woodall’s Roxster was, as expected, embarrassing and awkward to endure. Despite generating a few laughs (think the pool scene) they lack chemistry, and the age gap was too staggering to ignore. However, the main relationship between Bridget and Mr Wallaker is surprisingly devoid of clichés and comes about naturally throughout the film; he is not a replacement of the beloved Mark Darcy but a love interest in his own right. Rather than the love story itself, the relationship between Mr Wallaker and “Miniature Darcy” was a standout part of the film.
For decade-long fans of Bridget or newcomers, the film is both hilarious and heartwarming, and a perfect conclusion to the series — but if it were up to me, they would keep them coming.
“Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy logo” by Universal Pictures is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.