Bridget Jones : Folle de lui

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy delivers exactly what fans expect-heartfelt emotion, slapstick comedy, and romantic fantasy-while offering just enough fresh twists to keep things engaging. Picking up four years after Mark Darcy's death, the film follows Bridget as she navigates modern dating, leading to plenty of hilarious and endearing mishaps.

Director Michael Morris enhances the storytelling with immersive visuals, particularly in a standout single-shot sequence that captures Bridget's chaotic yet lovable world. The humor shines in classic Bridget fashion, from an awkward school interview to a laugh-out-loud tree rescue scene. Renée Zellweger effortlessly reprises her role, supported by a stellar cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall. Though some jokes about technology feel a bit dated, the film's emotional depth-especially in Bridget's journey of self-reinvention-keeps it grounded.

With a nostalgic yet refreshing energy, Mad About the Boy is a charming return to Bridget's world, reminding us that love and laughter only get better with age.

As a die-hard Bridget Jones fan, I went into this film expecting a fun, chaotic, and laugh-out-loud experience-because, let's be honest, that's what Bridget does best. Instead, I found myself watching something entirely different. And by different, I mean a film that forgot it was supposed to be a comedy.

Sure, there are jokes. But they're either painfully forced, overacted, or just... not funny. I chuckled maybe twice, three times max, throughout the entire movie. For a Bridget Jones film, that's borderline criminal. The humor, once effortlessly awkward and relatable, has been replaced by exaggerated, almost theatrical performances that feel more like a sitcom laugh track than genuine comedy. Even Bridget herself seems to be acting like Bridget, overplaying her signature quirks to the point where it feels unnatural.

The trailer had me excited for a hilarious take on modern dating, especially the disaster goldmine that is dating apps-people not looking like their photos, bizarre miscommunications, painfully awkward first dates... There was so much potential! And yet, instead of a variety of comedic misadventures, the film latches onto one and stretches it too much.

And here's the kicker-the trailer is misleading. This isn't really a rom-com. It's a film about grief, family, and life's emotional transitions. Which is fine... but it's not exactly what you expect from Bridget Jones. The sentimental moments feel heavy-handed, like the movie is trying too hard to be heartwarming rather than letting the humor flow naturally. And to top it off, you can predict the ending within the first 15 minutes. It doesn't help that some scenes feel oddly low-budget (which they definitely weren't), and the over-the-top acting only adds to the artificial vibe.

That being said, it's not all bad. There are some genuinely sweet moments about cherishing life's little joys, appreciating the magic in everyday moments. But let's be honest-when you buy a ticket for a Bridget Jones movie, you expect to laugh.

If this really is the final chapter, I can't help but feel disappointed. Bridget deserved better.

'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (2025)' is very different to its predecessors, much more sombre and more contemplative. Rather than struggling with beauty standards and societal pressures, Bridget struggles with grief and coming to terms with a world which no longer has Mr. Darcy in it. Set four years after his untimely demise, the film puts enough distance between his death and its events that it isn't constantly consumed by sadness, focusing more on the reality of what happens just after the period of time usually covered by stories concerning tragedy. This allows the affair to totally avoid being dour, and it isn't even all that downbeat. It naturally fluctuates between making you laugh and making you cry, its general sadness counterbalanced by momentary happiness and the understanding that life has to go on and that there's nothing wrong with that. The central drama isn't so much 'boy' (Leo Woodall) vs 'man' (Chiwetel Ejiofor) insofar as a love triangle is concerned (the men share only a single scene), but instead one of Bridget learning to accept the absence of her husband and to live her life again. There are romantic elements of course, but this is the least 'rom-com' in the traditional sense of all the Bridget movies. It also might just be the best. Renée Zellweger is really solid as the lead character, easily slipping back into the role that arguably defines her career, and it's a treat to see characters (including Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver, who is pretty much unchanged by the year-long period in which he was declared dead but was actually stranded on an island somewhere, and Emma Thompson's frank-as-always Dr. Rawlings) and locations and even character setups from its predecessors. It's pretty funny and it's pretty moving. In fact, it's pretty much everything it needs to be. It does feel a little long, and certain elements in its third act feel rather rushed. Plus, Bridget doesn't have the strongest chemistry with one of the men (I won't spoil which) and some aspects of the picture feel more obligatory than natural. Still, it's a really solid sequel that examines relatable and important themes in an effective way. It totally justifies its existence.

After being so excited for this I was more than pleasantly surprised. Everything worked for me. It was also bittersweet in that Bridget's Mark Darcy is gone now and Bridget is a widow with young children. It's been 4 years and all her besties from the other films are cheering her on to meet a man-any man-for at least a one night stand. Bridget does meet a much younger man and begins an affair with him. She also meets her son's science teacher who uses a whistle to round up all the kids before school starts. It was very Sound of Music captain seeming. But what I loved most was Hugh Grant's character coming back to be a surrogate big brother/uncle to her children. He's still a womanizer even though he's a lot older than Bridget. My one problem was Bridget's hair. Before it was over, I wanted to comb her hair myself. It was a real mess. But I loved the whole thing anyway and I highly recommend it!

Renée Zellweger was just past 30 for the first Bridget Jones movie, now she will turn 56 later this year, 2025. Today is Valentines Day and it seemed fitting that my wife and I decided to watch this movie, released just yesterday, streaming on Peacock.

It has a very slow start, we both looked at each other after about one-half hour and said, "Are you enjoying this?" We weren't and both hoped it would soon get good. All the characters were annoying and inappropriate, even the kids. In one scene the little girl is running around the house and banging on a pot for the longest. In social gatherings all the lady friends are intrusive and most of the interactions are silly. Fortunately, by tolerating all that it did pick up during its second half.

As this story starts Bridget's husband died in an unfortunate accident four years earlier, leaving her with a young son and an even younger daughter. She was still trying to cope and had not been back to her job as a TV show producer. All her friends wanted to know when she would find a man. One even started her a dating ap.

Later, as the story winds down, good things start to happen for Bridget and the kids. The son is worried that he might forget his dad and his science teacher helps by reassuring him that his dad is everywhere, his energy is, because energy can neither be created or destroyed, it just changes its form.

I would watch the second half again, but NOT the first half, neither interesting nor entertaining. And I did just that, a few weeks later. I started at the middle and the second half is an excellent one-hour movie.

Later I got the DVD from my public library and re-watched the original Bridget Jones movie. The closing credits of this movie contains a number of still shots from that original.