Review of Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) by Filipeneto — 07 Nov 2021

A worthy end for Bridget Jones.

Overall, I liked this movie, and I think it represents a decent ending to the Bridget Jones trilogy. It's not a very good movie, but it's warm, it has a funny story and gives us back most of the characters we like. Personally, I like this movie more than its predecessor, which seemed more worn and soulless. In this movie, the unthinkable happens and Bridget got pregnant… but she doesn't know who the father is! On the one hand, it could be Mark Darcy, her eternal love, but it could also be Jack, a one-night stand she had at a festival.

The movie is predictably the last in which we'll see Bridget Jones and her adventures. Not only is the formula already quite worn out, but the actors have also aged and are now on another level of their lives. The biggest problem with this film, in fact, is the predictability of its script, where we can foresee with some certainty what will happen. Even who is the child's father! The jokes are nothing new, but sometimes they work, and the film is not happy about making us laugh, but it also doesn't upset us either. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the same chemistry among the trio of main actors that was observed in the past. The film has a series of uninteresting sub-plots, placed to fill time and space, because nothing relevant comes from any of them.

Again, Renee Zellwegger returns to one of the characters that brought her notoriety and fortune, but the actress already accuses her age, with visible wrinkles and a lack of joviality that the character also gradually assumes. She is a good actress, however, and gives us another very competent job, closing in the best way her work. At his side, a mature but elegant Colin Firth remains fresh and impeccable in the role of Darcy. Cast in this film, Patrick Dempsey did a satisfying job, but somewhat lukewarm, as was his character, an algorithmic intellectual who made his fortune with a social networking site. Emma Thompson is a good comedian, but the character is too serious for her to really put to use the comedic skills we recognize in her. Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent are safe bets, but they are rarely really taken advantage of. Sarah Solemani is also a nice addition, but also adds little to the film.

Once again, the film takes on its British credits with a discreet but effective and functional cinematography, making the best use of the good scenery and also the excellent filming locations selected for the film. We have a good balance of light and shadow, good colors and excellent editing, with the film not wasting time or dragging. The costumes are also very good, and the soundtrack does its job well, without standing out or disappointing.