Bridget Jones's Diary Review

A publishing sensation of the late 90s, "Bridget Jones’s Diary" tells of a year in the life of thirty-something Bridget, a successful professional who is obsessed with her weight, her nicotine and alcohol intake, and her lack of a boyfriend. Now I have a confession to make: I’ve read the book, loved it, and went to this movie expecting the big screen version not to live up to my high hopes. Ultimately it didn’t, but have you ever enjoyed the film version of one of your favourite books as much as the original book itself?

As a standalone movie "Bridget Jones’s Diary" is another quirky romantic comedy from the writer of "Four Weddings And A Funeral" and "Notting Hill," and features an American leading lady – Texan Renee Zellweger – with the most convincing English accent since Gwyneth Paltrow in "Sliding Doors." Although the restrictions of condensing a novel into a screenplay mean that many of the supporting characters are no way near as well developed, the three leads (Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as her slimy boss, and Colin Firth as a possible Mr Right) all give good performances, with Zellweger in particular bringing a touching combination of self consciousness and self confidence to the role – and she plays a great drunk!