Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
It’s well known, amongst men anyway, that the male species is genetically predisposed to hate the romantic films. Even the romantic comedy. How many conversations have gone like this before?
“Honey, let’s go see [insert name of latest Hollywood romantic thing here] tonight?”
“Shit no, honey. I’d rather fuck myself with a salad fork while river rafting than see that piece of poo.”
Or something like that.
I’m one of those men who exceedingly rarely will see a romantic film or romantic comedy and of those that I’ve seen, I can count the number I actually enjoyed using only my penis. Well, that’s not entirely true, but it’s close. (”Sleepless in Seattle” is a notable exception, but that’s not what this posting is about so let’s move on, ok?) It’s not that I’m a cold hearted bastard out of touch with his own emotions and unable to enjoy something that’s not testosterone filled. That’s entirely not the case. The fact of the matter is that most romantic films made in Hollywood are insipid pieces of trash with very unrealistic romanticism. They’re rarely true to life and generally help to perpetuate a romance that doesn’t exist and never did.
A couple of years back I saw “Bridget Jones’ Diary” on one of the pay channels and was quite pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed it. While it still falls in to some of the traps of the typical romantic film, the sensibility and intelligence of the comedy really shone through to create a really decent film. I admit it, I really enjoyed it.
So, when I heard they were making a sequel, I was intrigued. See, I’d LIKE to enjoy the romantic comedy, but something like Bridget Jones is a rarity. Tonight I went to see “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” and once again I found a romantic comedy that was good. It’s an almost wholly predictable film, with the exception of a fun set of twists at the end that catch you off guard, but the comedy is top notch and possibly better than the first. It almost seems like with the Bridget Jones films they specifically tried to craft a story that would appeal to both male and female sensibilities.
Favorite parts? Pretty much any scene with Hugh Grant, but especially the “fight” between Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. Had me on the floor.
If more romantic comedies were of the level of these two films, they’d probably have me seeing them more often than I do.
