Shadows on the Wall | Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

dir Michael Morris
scr Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer, Abi Morgan
prd Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jo Wallett
with Renee Zellweger, Leo Woodall, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Sarah Solemani, Shirley Henderson, Sally Phillips, James Callis, Casper Knopf, Mila Jankovic, Nico Parker
release US/UK 14.Feb.25
25/UK Working Title 2h04

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Tapping back into that fizzy comical tone, this fourth chapter in Bridget Jones' saga is amusingly silly and emotional enough to make us sigh now and then. As expected, it's also packed with lively characters who weave their way through a Richard Curtis-style romcom plot, including a picturesque (and very rare) snowfall in London. So even if the story isn't as grounded as before, it's just as endearing.

Four years after her husband Mark (Firth) died in a war zone, Bridget (Zellweger) is raising their sparky kids (Knopf and Jankovic) in a flurry of chaos, occasionally assisted by her snarky ex Daniel (Grant). With her friends (Solemani, Henderson, Phillips and Callis) urging her to date again, she decides to reenter the scene. On a day out, she meets the charming and much-younger park ranger Roxter (Woodall). Their connection deepens, and her friends cheer her on. Meanwhile, schoolteacher Mr Wallaker (Ejiofor) ropes her into accompanying a camping trip with students in the Lake District.

Oddly, the age difference with Roxter doesn't reignite Bridget's old insecurities. Instead, she simplistically sees it as a problem waiting to happen. But their connection is lusty and adorable, so this disconnect feels badly contrived, leading to a surprisingly superficial final act, plus a happy-holidays epilogue. That said, romantic comedies are essentially fantasies, so most viewers won't mind the flood of sweetness, especially as it's thankfully undercut by snappy humour.

Zellweger once again relishes Bridget's flurry of messy energy, which makes her various relationships feel complex and realistic. This includes her terrific chemistry with Grant, who effortlessly steals scenes with Daniel's cynical charm. Woodall is almost outrageously adorable as Roxter, a thoughtful, witty guy who doesn't know how sexy he is. Ejiofor is likeable as Wallaker, although the character is written with a whiplash personality change. And Thompson, as always, delivers the best zingers as Bridget's doctor.

Because of the previous films, Bridget has earned enough good will to paper over some jarring narrative flaws, including the way the movie veers between broad slapstick and thick sentimentality. But because we have nearly 25 years of history with this hilarious gang, we're happy to hang out with them for a couple of hours. Everything may be wrapped up by "the end", complete with a montage of scenes over the decades, but the door remains open just a crack for further adventures. And we wouldn't mind at all.

themes, language 5.Feb.25

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