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Watched Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy on Valentines Day (Spolier)

posted 6 days ago by unlockingfreedom (332)
12 replies | jump to latest

The beginning was quite sad, the film is very well made, professionally filmed, etc. which brings after a long introduction the actors name being shown. By that point you realise the film is going to be quite good. The moment "Renee Zellweger" comes on screen the film switches from sad, trippy, poignant to chirpy fun.

Look, she at 55 years old shags a kid, whilst having two small kids. The boy is perceived as a sex god, has to decide whilst having fun could the boy settle with an older woman. Bridget Jones whilst fancying the boy rejects the kid, hoping he will find deeper love.

Bridget Jones send her kids to school, which a teacher notices that Bridget Jones's son, whilst clever may not be happy. The teacher sets out the make the boy happy, then in turn finds Bridget Jones attracted to him. They repeat the ending of the first Bridget Jones film in snow, with roles reversed though from Darcy to Bridget Jones.

It was a good film, Hugh Grant is brilliant and Bridget Jones gets some good jokes too. The film slows down in parts, sometimes cheesy, but has a much more grown up feel. I cannot believe how much the actors have aged since the first Bridget Jones 30 years ago.

[–] Arasaid (202) 6 days ago

I agree, good film. I'm not a fan of the series, but really enjoyed this one and it certainly brought a tear or two.

[–] leader (2103) 5 days ago

I loved this one and enjoyed it so much, particularly the scenes focusing on grieving her husband. Very poignant.

[–] ClementinaSpur (1328) 4 days ago

Agree. The scenes with Colin Firth were very well-done. We could feel the grief and longing.

[–] ClementinaSpur (1328) 4 days ago

***SPOILERS AHEAD***
I watched it last night, and it was better than I thought it would be. I was worried it was going to be silly slapstick, but it ended up having many bittersweet poignant moments that provided a counterbalance. I'll give Bridget a pass on the silly bits because I think she just feels even more awkward than she usually does. The awkwardness going from single to smug married was easier than the awkwardness going from smug married to widow.

There was so much remaining love and chemistry portrayed between Bridget and Mark Darcy even though Mark appeared in her mind's eye only for fleeting moments. Renee Z did a superb job conveying this.

I agree with you about Hugh Grant. He absolutely stole every scene he was in. I've never been a fan of his, but he was just so good in this I am now. When and how did his voice end up with that James Earl Jones quality? I wasn't expecting that, but it made his lines sound so much more fun.

I was happy to see that just about everybody from the original movie made an appearance in this one. I'm like you though; it was a shock to see how much older they all looked. I even noticed that some of Bridget's fashions from earlier movies made an appearance just for old time's sake. The ending snow scene was a nice familiar touch as well as ending things at Christmas and New Year's like the original.

I have been on the record for years that Daniel Craig should play Wallaker because Helen Fielding herself says Wallaker is like DC in the book. The book Wallaker is described as former SAS and strict in his school duties. There is a moment when he comes to Bridget's and Billy's rescue in a major way that requires some heroics, but this scene didn't make it into the movie. I didn't get that same vibe from movie Wallaker. He was entertaining enough, but he struck me as nervous constantly blowing that whistle and running around.

[–] unlockingfreedom (332) 4 days ago

The awful trailer made me think the film was going to be "silly slapstick", thank god the film ended up quite composed.

Roxster at the tree scene, do i grab the arse, best not.

Everyone in the cinema laughed with the subtitles bit.

Jim Broadbent (Colin Jones) dying in the bed, giving advice was the tone of the film, not just living but being happy as a last message. My old man in real life is 88 years old and taking care of him in the last 5 years had really woken me up. I even learnt stem cell biology to better understand what to do, which made him recover from sepsis in the blood and COPD. That has definitely slowed down my aging.

http://www.printernational.co.uk/timmann/age_regression.htm

As we watched Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy on Valentines Day, my girlfriend was pretty happy. She keeps a book of things we have done over the last twenty years together, which both our cinema tickets went into. My beard is still even in there from that long ago! She said she likes the third film the best, I am just happy that she really liked this film. We snuck a couple of pizza's in from Pizza Express, sitting on the back row.

Mark Darcy in "her mind's eye" looked so bloody old in that very last scene. Colin Firth is 65 years old.

Mr. Wallaker was okay, every line was delivered well, obviously Daniel Craig is a different type of actor. I see why the film has done so well already.

Hugh Grant correcting the kids on a "dirty bitch" to a "filthy bitch" is explained why here:

https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/movies/hugh-grant-wrote-own-bridget-152900477.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKF70W1FeVxvzCrwfJhAiaLrg_xQ6UrG3dQUlDPs4mg8Xy2St4I5KdhDFQwne46UA1tZ5mD8XMUju-TdzwucNkfLRX_vybcYYnDQOQa4rDMd1EsK16_1VkQT8udpUVD91dpZTXQ8Nk7oeD6eZ_T2gOz7bC1Q9HQoqlfUdVi0ofgB

[–] ClementinaSpur (1328) 3 days ago

I'm really envious you got to see it in the theater! It's only streaming on Peacock here in the U.S. Not only did you and your girlfriend enjoy the movie, but you made the whole evening an event worthy of the memory book! You have a real gift of description with the pizza and back row seats details. I could visualize this!

I hear you on the happiness lesson Bridget's dad gives her. I always get a good reminder about something from a Bridget movie. The first one rocked my world in 2003 when I first saw it. I watched it every day for a solid month. It made an impression on me and still does.

I'm thoroughly impressed about how you have cared for your dad, and how wonderful that he has improved and you have learned some things for yourself! Thanks for the link.

Tell your girlfriend I will rewatch the third one again soon since it's her favorite!

Daniel Cleaver as babysitter teaching the finer points of preparing cocktails! ;) I still can't get over how amazing Hugh Grant is in this one.

[–] letess (1810) 4 days ago

It was very Jane Austen and really a delight. Of course, she is always caught in many humorous compromising situations - buying a variety of condoms at the drug store while the school teacher is behind her for one. There are many. Still, the one that is hilarious in the first movie was going down the firemen’s pole. But I like her “dilemma” - two kids - nice place to live and great people around her and a promising return to a career.

And, Renee looks great. Luminous. And when she was with the boy - who is supposed to be 28, no it is 29 - not 10 years older or 15 - but essentially half her age in real life - it is remarkable that they looked really good together and it doesn’t really scream - older woman with young boy. I am not sure what Bridget’s age actually is but she doesn’t look that much different. It’s a happy movie.

[–] unlockingfreedom (332) 3 days ago

At the beginning Bridget's son being told word for word what Darcy would have said at the bed time was heart breaking. The film just came out well for people who love the character.

When I was younger at school when the first film came out, other young girls really related to the ditzy character of Bridget Jones. I get the sense from old private school friends living in London, that the Dad always dies first, leaving a wealthy home, in a privileged area and elite schools around. I think that thought was in the first film that Bridget Jones was "marrying up".

That was so funny at the pharmacy, the camera is cleverly placed where a person leaving the shot reveals the strict teacher directly behind Bridget. What kind of pharmacy assistant reads out the name of each and every type of condom aloud from the basket.

Renee being in real life that Hollywood type, has had quite a lot done under the knife. Something that Hugh Grant and Colin Firth would not go for. There are still men in their 50's dating mid 20 years olds, which is odd, the menopause is the taboo not mentioned of men that want children. It is not nearly as common for young men to want elder women, especially once they had children and are occupied with their family. Weirdly that worked in the film with Bridget being a widower inheriting a comfortable living standard.

[–] ClementinaSpur (1328) 3 days ago

It was very Jane Austen and really a delight.

I agree. The first Bridget movie is basically a retelling of Pride and Prejudice with Bridget as Elizabeth of course and Mark Darcy playing Mr. Darcy, a man seeming to be quite gruff and rude but he's just misunderstood and possesses a heart of gold. Mad About the Boy uses that same formula with Mr. Wallaker. He's her new Mr. Darcy. There are even more misunderstandings and miscommunications between Bridget and Mr. Wallaker in the book that make it even more like Jane Austen than the movie.

So it seems like Bridget and her story have done a complete 360 degree journey. I sure would like to see more books and movies made, but I doubt it will happen with the way this one seems to have been made with an intentional connection to the beginning.

[–] marktayloruk (2590) 3 days ago

Bridget 51 not 55. Just saw film and really enjoyed it. Felt sorry for some of the kids with those weird names - and is it mere coincidence that parent and paranoid begin with the same three letters?

[–] unlockingfreedom (332) 3 days ago

@marktayloruk

Look up Renée Zellweger on google she is 55 years old.

[–] marktayloruk (2590) 2 days ago

I was referring to Bridget not Renee.