Bridget Jones's Diary Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Bridget Jones's Diary Blu-ray Movie Review

She's gonna make it after all.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 16, 2011

The supposedly piquant, Latino-centric From Prada to Nada is only one of the most recent in a long line of various adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. As I discussed in my review of that unfortunate misfire, Austen adaptations have become something of a cottage industry, with appearances of everything from more or less straightforward reworkings (the iconic Colin Firth BBC miniseries or the Keira Knightley feature film) to the ebullient Bollywood Bride and Prejudice to the hilarious satirical miniseries Lost in Austen to the forthcoming film version of the wonderfully titled novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. While some purists might aver that Austen is rolling over in her grave (repeatedly) as these supposed indignities, I personally think quite the opposite; Austen probably would have been thrilled to see the work she fought so hard to get published continuing to delight audiences in any form this many years after it was originally released. Despite this plethora of versions, probably none has caught the public consciousness quite so firmly as the completely silly but immensely enjoyable Bridget Jones’s Diary, a film which mixes a decidedly non-Austen sexual freedom with an arch and dry comic sensibility that appeals to a post-modern audience raised in an era where cynicism isn’t the exclusive property of the landed gentry. Though Diary is one of the looser adaptations of Austen’s source novel, there are certainly enough threads linking it to its progenitor to make it the leader of the pack, for better or worse and at least in terms of audience appeal, of the slew of Pride and Prejudice wannabes that have appeared with fair regularity over the past couple of decades.

This may just be an errant Y chromosome talking, and please (no, really, please) forgive any unintended insensitivity, but there are some aspects to “female empowerment” that I frankly just do not get. When Bridget Jones’s Diary first appeared, Helen Fielding’s novel was acclaimed as a beautiful piece of proto-feminist fiction, one which at last gave a voice to Everywoman, replete with all her fears and anxieties. And that same acclaim largely greeted the film version, which swept the box office and helped make Renée Zellweger a major attraction. But how does one reconcile those claims with the fact that Bridget defines herself as a “spinster” and seems to base her entire self-worth on her ability to land a man? Isn’t that everything feminists have been arguing against since the halcyon days of Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem? It’s even more perplexing when the film version of Bridget Jones’s Diary makes no bones about its populist proclivities, letting every little triumph in Bridget’s burgeoning but tempestuous romantic life play out to a series of Top 40 hits which are supposedly meant to up the “feel good” ante. What it does in actuality is make Bridget the stepdaughter as it were of Mary Richards from the old Mary Tyler Moore show, a spunky lass (and we all know some people hate spunk) who will overcome all obstacles and find happiness in the most unlikely places. All that’s missing is the toss of a British beret to complete the comparison.

Okay, that’s the curmudgeonly response to aspects of Bridget Jones’s Diary that cynics may find less than appealing. But the truth is the film is enormously entertaining and often laugh out loud hilarious. I frankly have never been a huge Zellweger fan. Her countenance is an oddly sour one, as if she’s either just sucked down one too many lemons or is passing an inordinately large kidney stone, and her performances can often seem mannered and overly contrived. Add to this an especially hilarious evisceration of her backstage demeanor by one Kathy Griffin (in one of Griffin’s scabrous stand up television specials), and it’s hard to take Zellweger as seriously as she evidently takes herself. The good news is, you don’t have to take Zellweger seriously at all in Bridget Jones’s Diary, for the role is a malapropism prone buffoon who stumbles from one slaptstick conundrum to the next. And miracle of miracles, Zellweger proves herself a rather brilliant comedienne in both the verbal and physical arenas, bringing a definite believability to the character of Bridget despite the cartoonish ambience of much of the film.

The original Fielding novel spent a great deal of time dealing with Bridget’s fascination with Colin Firth in the BBC miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice, and of course it’s one of Bridget Jones’s Diary’s casting coups that Firth is on hand playing an updated version of Darcy. He’s curiously restrained in this film, even a bit more than your typical, “historically accurate” Darcy. That leaves most of the comic fireworks to play out between Zellweger and Hugh Grant as the womanizing cad for whom she works, at least in the first half of the film. The chemistry between all three of these stars is palpable and helps to cement Bridget Jones’s Diary’s entertainment value. But it’s actually some of the supporting roles, notably Gemma Jones as Bridget’s dotty mother who becomes a helpmate on a sort of QVC shopping channel, where some of the film’s biggest laughs originate.

This is one of those films that seems preternaturally ordained to appeal to women, though men will probably find a lot to enjoy in it as well. If any of you guys have that same errant, questioning Y chromosome, take some advice and just keep your yap shut if your wife or girlfriend wants you to watch Bridget Jones Diary. There are certainly worse fates, and as some wise man once said, discretion is the better part of valor.

Bridget Jones's Diary Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bridget Jones's Diary arrives on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Generally the film looks great, though even this Blu-ray can't quite compensate for what has always been a sort of soft looking source. Colors are noticeably more robust and better saturated on the BD than on the previously released DVD, with sharpness also managing at least a partial uptick. Some of the darker scenes are still hampered by moderate crush, though that is at least somewhat improved from the previous standard definition home video release. Grain is very natural looking and contrast is also solid throughout. The one issue is the overall gauziness which has always been part of this film's "look," for better or worse. A lot of the location footage almost seems like it was shot in soft focus (though I doubt it was), and everything exhibits a sort of fuzzy, dewy look a lot of the time. This is not going to blow anyone's mind in terms of high-def wonderment, but it's a good looking Blu-ray that is considerably better than the DVD, even if it doesn't approach reference quality levels.

Bridget Jones's Diary Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bridget Jones's Diary's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is a nice sonic upgrade from the previous DVD version, especially with regard to the virtually nonstop use of source cues, which now spill through the surrounds with a lot of force and energy. The bulk of the film is smaller dialogue moments, and so don't provide incredibly opportunity for "wow" immersion, but the film does extremely well in any number of large crowd scenes, and in several great establishing shots in and around London. Fidelity is superb here, with excellent reproduction through all frequency ranges, and the mix is extremely well balanced between dialogue, score and the occasional effect (listen to the funny "rubbery" noise when Bridget is descending the fire pole for a good example).

Bridget Jones's Diary Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Director Sharon Maguire. Maguire is an appealing commentator, one who is obviously very excited to have helmed such a big feature her first time at bat. Everything from the logos at the head of the film, to the inimitable Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, to casting a very American Renée Zellweger is covered in some detail.
• The Young and the Mateless (An Expert's Guide to Being Single (SD; 8:14) is a kind of funny featurette about what it's like to be single in the modern day world, and how the Helen Fielding novel affected single women.
• The Bridget Phenomenon (SD; 6:36) gives some background on Fielding's origi
• Behind the Scenes Featurette (SD; 9:38) is formatted like a diary entry as actually has a point of view and a sense of humor, thereby elevating it well above more standard EPK fare.
• Portrait of the Make-Up Artist (SD; 5:04) looks at the work of Graham Johnston, who was the chief make-up artist on both Bridget Jones films.
• Deleted Scenes (SD; 11:54) has quite a few laughs sprinkled throughout its scenes, including some funny stuff about Bridget's bigger than average thighs.
• A Guide to Bridget Britishisms (SD; 2:21) is a quick guide to some of the colloquialisms in the film.

Bridget Jones's Diary Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Guys, take some advice from someone who's made it through around two decades of married bliss (and I mean that, seriously I do): when your wife or girlfriend takes a look at Colin Firth and emits a long sigh, whispering, "Isn't he dreamy?", simply fight any urge to make a disparaging, ironic or satiric comment. You'll be happier for it, believe me, though your tongue may be permanently scarred from having to bite down so hard on it. My wife watches Bridget Jones's Diary at least once a year and gets an immense kick out of it every time, and it obviously provides her a level of romantic storybook happiness, and that's fine with me. Guys may not exactly swoon for Firth (or Grant, for that matter), but the film is undeniably engaging and is undoubtedly funny enough to not be thought of exclusively as a chick flick. This Blu-ray looks manifestly better than the DVD and sounds spectacular, and comes Recommended.