Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) Movie Review

A Spectacular Mess of Poignant Laughter 

          In no small part is the world indebted to Bridget Jones, certainly one of of film's most effervescent personalities, for making that much-needed time spent in solitude with Ben and Jerry's ice cream socially acceptable, or at least forgivable, among one's closest social circle, as well a notion that everyone knows well enough but still constantly craves a reminder and stern affirmation of: It is totally okay to not have your life together by the time you reach your twenties, or thirties, or even forties, assuming one defines the peak of that mountain as finding and settling down with a life partner in romantic love, which, indeed, many people do, whether they admit it or not. The Bridget Jones series of movies to date (2001-2016) has consistently told stories that are prevalent with such themes in an expertly light-hearted manner that never fails to conjure up laughter and mournful sadness in more or less equal measure. The latest diary entry, a tale filled with serendipity justified principally by the sheer charisma of all of the major players, delivers just that, in a well-overdue comedy, which, like the James Bond series (1962-2015) or the Mission Impossible series (1996-2015), leaves on silently praying for more.  

          A fantastic, carefully-selected soundtrack of chart hits, some oldish and some new, wonderfully accompanies an assortment of great jokes. Albeit they vary in originality and wit, almost all of them inspire laughter, courtesy of consistently flawless and evidently painstakingly earned comic timing in front of the camera.

          Audiences will aquiver in their entities with delight at the boundless levels of charm on display by all of the leading stars and their supporting cast alike. While Renée Zellweger shines as always at the forefront of the adventure, she is accompanied by two equally becoming love interests, each one a determined model of that knight in shining armour, both within and without, played with admirable eloquence by Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey respectively. Moreover, Emma Thompson adds yet another spark to the already well-illuminated movie theatre as the Angel in the form of Bridget's doctor and confidant throughout her most recent unplanned but nonetheless beautiful mess at the heart of this latest instalment.

          Occasionally some characters serving as the antagonists seem like pantomime villains and are consequently at risk of growing two-dimensional. Thus, the gags related to them once or twice come across as cheesy. However, the humour, overall, thanks to the aforementioned terrific performances and superb comic timing, ultimately and clearly prevails.

          To top it all off, for those who can't contain themselves because just under one hundred days remain until the big day, granting them with the green light for party preparations, photo-shoot ambitions and at least a faint consideration of what memories might define their holiday season this year, there are gleeful, unashamed hints of Christmas. Noel's presentation is notable and necessary but fortunately not excessive, intended not to irritate but rather to serve the film's primary purpose of instilling as pure a joy as a film possibly could within the otherwise desperately turbulent journey of love. Hopefully, just hopefully, this journey won't end here.

THE VERDICT: 9.5/10

Shows That You Should Have Watched Yesterday - The Night Of (2016)

The Last Time I Ever Saw Your Face: Salvaging the American Dream from a City of Nightmares

          Year after year, there stands at least one piece of art that nobody perceived would be that good. If ever one needed proof that there was no formula for successfully achieving a guaranteed excess of critical acclaim, an everlasting sentimental impact, or a genuinely seamless and warmly welcomed element and of a didactic quality, all while remaining true to the primary artistic aim of entertainment through, in this instance, great storytelling, The Night Of (2016) would, without question, be pronounced guilty and be sentenced to join the ranks of fellow HBO dramas, such as the first season of True Detective (2014), or even films like Gladiator (2000), which all proved that surprises are still possible, even in the wake of an apparent overflow of movies and television shows from ostensibly all directions. It is nothing short of magic. Magic that, for better or worse, can never be re-created in quite the same way by a sequel or an additional season of episodes but nonetheless never fails to inspire possibilities for even more success on the passionate search for tasty original flavours on both the big and small screens.     

          A fairly tense yet defiantly beautiful occurrence of serendipity is followed all too quickly by a scarring turpitude that propels the protagonist into the deepest depths of desperation and despair, for both the superb leading character and the audience alike face a test of principally emotional endurance while they cannot figure out who to trust, or, worse still, who bears the ultimate reprehensibility for casting a shadow upon New York City, while other elements of the story simultaneously beam out light after light over both all too familiar and uncomfortably unexpected acts of prejudice and discrimination against minority groups in society. The Night Of plays out like magnificent, unspoiled river, consistently flowing confidently over and under various obstacles and around numerous turning points, each one at least as intriguing as the last, until it gracefully reaches the ocean, allowing the water to join that vast open azure-blue space, which lures the dazed mind into pondering over those questions that are not easily answered and, indeed, all but unanswerable, save for the discovery of who the clear heroes of that journey are in spite of their admirable modesty in the wake of such an enlightenment. The results, which include central character development underpinned by a shocking but arguably necessary corruption of innocence that is not dissimilar both within and without to the iconic transformations witnessed in Breaking Bad (2008-2013), as well as crime scene analysts and suspect interrogations that evidently grip and heighten only the best parts of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-2015), will not soon be forgotten.      

          Navigating the unsettling midnight-black mazes running endlessly throughout The Night Of not infrequently brings one into contact around the numerous corners with the trials of the undeniably quintessential elements of the American Dream - the notion that anybody, no matter where they are born or what class they are initially stuck with, can achieve their own personal vision of success in a collective where ascending up the ostensibly blurred but ultimately bitterly entrenched social ladder is possible for all. Genuine concerns that have been hijacked by those seeking to gain something out of the suffering of others and then hide behind their long-established reputations, while the flames of collateral damage rage and spread mercilessly in the aftermath of such selfishness, threaten to permanently tarnish the lives of perfectly innocent, decent individuals.Thus, the American Dream for an unlucky and disturbingly ever-increasing few in modern society might be all but extinguished, were it not for at least a faint degree of luck in the form of blessed chance encounters with those oozing with genuine pleasantness and a heartfelt desire for his or her fellow citizen, particularly when that fellow citizen presents clear signs to warrant their indignation. All that remains is to fight on against the cancer of complacency. Let good drama never die. Let good hearts never cease to beat. And let good people never, ever give up. Fighting on, with the patience to withstand the overwhelming rage of being stuck in seemingly eternal traffic, well into the night.      

Films That You Should Have Watched Yesterday - Rat Race (2001)

The Benevolence Beneath: Overpowering the Root of All Evil With Compassion and Laughter 

          Sylvester Stallone put together an ensemble of the finest, or, at least, the most recognisable action stars in modern cinema history for The Expendables (2010), re-uniting and even later extending that crew in both 2012 and 2014. Almost ten years before, an assemblage of comedy heroes created an adventure that was no less fuelled by fast-paced, passionate endeavours, but of course came with much less of the blood and much, much more of the humour poured into the film-maker mixing bowl. The final, fully-baked result, was Rat Race (2001) - a film, which, similarly to Stallone's work's ability to demand and capture the superfluous indulgence of film fans who considered themselves to be die-hard action buffs, could help to define an unwritten criminal offence, were it not eventually seen by comedy enthusiasts in particular.    

          Plot-lines that are both ostensibly and ultimately ridiculous but defiantly hilarious ceaselessly intertwine throughout the picture, principally due to the fact that all of the characters, portrayed by British comedy icons like Rowan Atkinson from Mr Bean (1990-1995) and John Cleese from Fawlty Towers (1975-1979), as well as American legends of laughter that include Whoopi Goldberg from Ghost (1990), Seth Green from Family Guy (1999-Present) and Cuba Gooding Jr. from Jerry Maguire (1996), never, ever become crestfallen enough to abandon the competition for what they perceive to be the ultimate prize - Money. F. Scott Fitzgerald himself would revel in viewing these beautiful and damned fools pursue such a prize, often at great cost to others as well as themselves, until each of them at some point, fortunately before it is too late, unlike figures in Fitzgerald's literary classics, discovers, in a variety of equally fulfilling forms, the transformative power of utterly selfless compassion for someone else, albeit not before having endured a great deal of hard trials that inspire sounds of laughter that many viewers never knew existed.      

          Time spent in screenwriting classes will quickly bring to light the notion that one ought not to have more than two coincidences slotted into their scripts if the stories that they tell are to be considered believable, or, put less politely, even as far as comedies are concerned, taken seriously. However, here is a movie that shamelessly defies that expectation to the utmost extreme and beyond, yet it still manages to keep audiences ensorcelled by the tale, owing to one of the most charismatic casts ever crammed onto a film set and their boundless levels of energy. More than once will a gag be pulled off in such a way that could only have worked with the particular artist who performs it. Moreover, the consequences of their actions rarely cease to generate at least a smile from the onlookers behind the forth wall and they additionally seldom fail to inspire hope. Hope for redemption, breaking the rules for the right reasons and the innate goodness in people. Thus, the movie depicts a race in which everyone, cast, crew and audience alike, is a wonderfully worthy winner.