Μύ After the runaway success of Bridget Jones' Diary, a sequel was inevitable. Although Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason forfeits originality and "coasts on the charisma of RenΓ©e Zellweger," it surpassed its predecessor at the worldwide box office to become one of the most successful British comedies ever made.
Dear Diary...
Having taken so much money, it's perhaps no wonder that director Beeban Kidron makes no apologies for regurgitating old gags and stretching them as far as they'll go. Her audio commentary is peppered with statements like, "If it's a tiny bit over the top, I don't care!" and "It might be in your face, but one of the things I love about Bridget Jones is that it's in your face!" Aside from testimonials, she offers a few behind-the-scenes tidbits concerning the major comic set-pieces such as Bridget's parachute jump, which had Zellweger cursing from day one.
Kidron also provides introductions for four deleted scenes, which are more than just the usual cutaways. Among them, Bridget gets up-close-and-personal with a horse's backside while reporting on the "proposed ban" against fox hunting and bumps into Darcy at a christening post-break-up. Certainly, this selection of classic Bridget bungles will be of interest to fans of Helen Fielding's book.
A small batch of behind-the-scenes featurettes - of varying quality - pad out the rest of this DVD. The Mini Break To Austria finds Zellweger on the slopes, sadly she's quite proficient at skiing backwards so there are few laughs to be had. Instead, the 'Ski Unit Manager' waffles on about health and safety issues, like making sure everyone's wearing the proper sun cream. Boo! Where's Jeremy Beadle when you need him?
Keeping Up With Jones
Like Bridget's slalom skills, The Guide To Exotic Thailand is all over the place. It merely cobbles together footage of Thailand's top tourist spots with soundbites from cast and crew raving about how gorgeous it all is. Thankfully The Big Fight featurette is a little more entertaining with Colin Firth and Hugh Grant swapping trash talk about their fountain fisticuffs; "It was like wrestling my grandmother!" scoffs Firth.
Bridget Jones's Interview With Colin Firth blends fact and fiction with similarly amusing results. Zellweger fawns over "the star of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Pride & Prejudice," delving into the infamous wet shirt sequence with such probing questions: "Did you know your nipples were showing?" For the more technically minded, there's a glimpse into the use of CG effects in the 'Lonely London' sequence where Bridget gazes wistfully over the city skyline after her break-up with Darcy. A Cosmo-style quiz that attempts to define "your ideal man" caps off the package.
In all, The Edge Of Reason is suitably fluffy and flirty on DVD, but very low on insights about the actual making of the film. Or to put it in terms Bridget might understand: not quite big pants - more like frilly knickers.
EXTRA FEATURES
Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason DVD is out to buy on 25th February 2005.
