Bridget Jones`s Diary (UK)

I really enjoyed this movie considering all the hype. I think that I was expecting a bit more of a chick flick, but was pleasantly surprised by this extremely witty film. The cast is excellent, although Hugh Grant gets all the best lines, and really every scene he's in.

The disc itself is a solid effort. Video & audio are both up to par, and there is a nice selection of extras, although more would have been nice. We get a selection of deleted scenes which are mostly very amusing, but it would have been nice to have either a commentary or introduction to explain why they were deleted. There is a 10 minute "making of" featurette made especially for the DVD which is good, but too brief. The commentary track from director Sharon Maguire is amusing and insightful. There are also 2 music videos and a selection of the original Bridget Jones articles.

Overall, I was surprised out how much I enjoyed this film. The DVD is solid, but could have done with a few more extras (it's odd that there weren't even bios or a trailer on there). Still, well worth buying as it's around £8.50 from play.com at the moment.

Introduction
Its the film of the book - what more can you say!

The Plot
Early 30s Bridget, single, no boyfriend, in a battle to find Mr Right, whilst trying to keep weight, cigarettes and parents under control in her life. Into her life comes Mr "RIght but Dull" Darcy and Mr "Wrong but exciting" Cleaver, who should she choose, if indeed either? Based roughly on the plot of Pride and Prejudice.

It follows the book pretty much, with one or two artistic diversions here and there, and the humour keeps going.

The Cast
Renee Zellweger as Bridget does the part very well. A reasonable accent despite being a Texan, and looks the part (thats is not a stick insect supermodel).
Colin Firth plays the thoughtful sensitive Mark Darcy nicely, though is a bit dull.
Hugh Grant is rather good as the Mr Wrong character.

The Visuals/Audio
Pretty good visually, didn`t notice anything amiss.
The 5.1 track is not overused, in fact I didn`t really notice much in the way of surround, which is probably as it should be for a film like this

The Extras
A fair selection of extras
A commentary by the director, that I`ve dipped into. Has a few nice comments here and there and some nice background. Interestingly she really starts talking when the final credits roll, and its a race to see if she can finish all she has to say before the track ends - just!
Some deleted scenes, which give some interesting perspectives. Mostly cut for time I think, as they are all pretty reasonable to watch.
Music videos, if you like that sort of thing
Behind the scenes featurette which is actually quite interesting and informative for once. Little in the way of backslapping, and you get to meet the cast, the director and the author which is nice.

Summary
Well you can`t really go wrong with this film. It delivers what it promises. Its witty, has some fair acting and is paced fast enough to keep you engaged. Worth watching at least once if not more.