What the Romantic Comedy has been crying out for in a while is a return of good old fashioned slapstick and the dominance of one leading lady – one who most women can relate to. Finally, after 12 long years, that woman is back in a glorious return to form in Bridget Jones’s Baby.
The strong presence of women is forever forefront in Bridget Jones’s Baby, even if some may say she isn’t a great role model for young women out there. Now 43, Bridget is still that stumbling, bumbling mess, but lacking, this time, is the overwhelming need that she isn’t complete without a man. With the return of director Sharon Maguire and adding Emma Thompson to the writing line-up Bridget Jones’s Baby has catapulted back to its comfort zone of the original making this narrative a pure delight.
In her 43rd year, Bridget (Renee Zellweger), who, by no means has not aged well, finds herself yet again single after her relationship with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) never quite made it. Mark is now married off – To explain the absence of Hugh Grant as Daniel Clever, he is presumed dead after his plane went missing. All of Bridget’s friends are married off with sprogs of their own and leave her to celebrate her birthday on her own. Career-wise Bridget has moved up the ranks at the TV Station to become a producer – The fairly younger anchor of her show Miranda (Sarah Solemani), decides to whisk her away for the weekend to a Festival to celebrate her freedom and her Splifdom.
After partying the night away to Ed Sheeran and fuelled with booze, Bridget stumbles into the devilishly handsome and charming online dating billionaire Jack (Patrick Dempsey), they spend the night together ‘protected’ by an extremely out of date eco-friendly condom. Subsequently, Bridget and a newly separated Mark, who seems to be looking a bit thin but still hardly ever cracking a smile, attend a christening as godparents and both end up in bed aided by the same pack of condoms – Here begins the 9-month struggle between the men to win Bridget’s affections as potential Father’s.
Emma Thompson has not only created a cleverly scripted light and warm dialogue for our beloved characters but has cunningly given herself a role as Bridget’s doctor, one who seems to have the best comedic lines and tells Bridget ‘You don’t need a man to do this’ – There are also many thunderously funny moments from not knowing who Ed Sheeran was to the final act where a hulking Bridget goes into labour and both Jack and Mark ‘being a two man job’ have to carry her to hospital and attempt to manoeuvre through a revolving door with snort-inducing hilarity. A fine closing chapter that is way past its due date, this little bundle of joy is no less than satisfying.
Bridget Jones’s Baby is out in cinemas September 16
