Bridget Jones is returning to cinemas in Mad About the Boy, and it’s… well, it’s another Bridget Jones film.
For those unfamiliar with the franchise (where have you been?), Bridget is a relatable, if somewhat chaotic, mid-life Londoner chronicling her life, loves, and general anxieties in diary form.
Previous films, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, followed her attempts to navigate relationships with Daniel Cleaver (the charming rogue) and Mark Darcy (the brooding, if emotionally stunted, barrister), alongside the usual career as a TV producer and self-esteem struggles.
Mad About the Boy catches up with Bridget some years later as she navigated with the realities of single motherhood, the death of her partner, dating in the digital age, and the general challenges of modern life.
Anyone that has had to date in the digital age will recognise some of the difficulties here, especially when it comes to the complexities of raising children and dating.
Expect the usual mix of awkward encounters, relatable mishaps, and quite often some genuine humour.
Bridget Jones doesn’t try to escape the rom-com clichés the series is known for, and that’s completely fine.
After all, sometimes it’s really nice to mentally unwind at the cinema with a popcorn in one hand, and your dates hand in the other.
There are some genuinely touching moments, particularly with Bridget’s son coming to terms with the loss of his father and how to move on without loosing the memories of that life.
Mad About the Boy is in cinemas across Australia from this week, just in time for Valentines Day.
If you’re a fan of the previous films, you’ll likely want to see this. If not, it’s probably not going to convert you. It’s Bridget Jones. You know what to expect.
– The Plus Ones
