Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy Is A Charming, Nostalgic Film Perfect For Valentine’s Weekend

WE ARE NOW LIVING IN A WORLD where Bridget Jones (the eternally single and chaotic protagonist of a well-loved book and movie series) is a widow and mother to two children. We are now living in a world where her ex-lover and universal f-boi, Daniel (Hugh Grant) is now a best friend, who occasionally babysits her kids — no strings attached — while she gets to have a night off. Nothing hanky panky. Pure, platonic friendship: who’d have thought? We are now living in a world where Renee Zellweger can have her hair loosely tied in the most atrociously messy manner throughout the runtime of the film, and even the most uptight of viewers will find the power to ignore it in order to give way for the charming rom-com to unfold.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy starts with establishing the death of Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and Bridget (Zellweger) a widow. She struggles to rise above the bare minimum of the parenting-existing axis. Her worries are now helicopter moms in her kids’ school, and how to make it one evening without completely losing her marbles at the overwhelming thought of being a single parent for the rest of her life. She’s grown up from the time she wore a bunny costume to an uptight elite party, but not too much, because she still has her moments. Daniel and her have struck a great friendship, her kids are finally settled in the rhythm of their lives and all her friends are coaxing her to put herself out there: it has been four years since Mark died.

Enter Roxter (Leo Woodall), the film’s certified hottie. He becomes the momentary knight in shining armour, taking Bridget out of her grief slump and showing her that she can have some fun. She takes up a job as a news producer and suddenly things are looking up, including an extremely heart-warming hate-to-love track with her kids’ teacher, Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor). The rest of the film takes us through the titular characters' ups and downs; there are a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, as well as scenes that make you sob. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is a classic romantic comedy in that sense, and it’ll make you nostalgic for a time when Hollywood was doling out movies like these by the dozen (good ol’ early 2000s).

Director Michael Morris keeps the tone and visuals light, even in some of the more deeper emotional moments. It’s easy to sit through the film, taking a peek into Bridget’s life and relationships. Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant’s cameos are one of the winning aspects of the film, and even though it rides on the nostalgic wave quite a bit, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy manages to modernise the franchise, especially with Bridget’s relationship with a 29-year-old. Some Gen Z lingo is thrown in but it doesn’t feel out of place, because the film takes every opportunity to remind viewers that Bridget is a 50-something, fine lines and all. She’s no glamorous heroine, and we love her for that. But unlike the first two films, there’s a sense of calm acceptance of her chaotic, clumsy self.

As a millennial, watching this film felt like reaching the end of a full circle, and it filled me with hope because, on the one hand, we still resonate with Bridget when she lusts after Roxter or interacts with a bitchy mom from school. But we also relate with her kids, and it feels like catching up with old friends after years. Carry a box of tissues with you when you go for this one, but also, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy will permanently fix a smile on your face throughout its runtime.