Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) finally has some luck in her life; she has a great job as a screenwriter, her family and a new boyfriend; the fact that he is over twenty years younger than her isn’t the only thing that is causing problems.

The chaotically charming Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) we all know and love with the previous films is back for Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy. This new film is about Bridget’s continued growth, and this time it’s the Motherhood Edition. Following the tragic death of her great love, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), Bridget is trying to keep it all together, which is proving hard to do while raising two young children and navigating the throws of life as a widow. But as always, love turns up in the most unexpected places for Bridget, and she sets off on a brand new romantic adventure that will leave with an equal measure of smiles and giggles.

The usual wit and fun of Bridget Jones is on full display in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, and there’s a fantastic rhythm of past nostalgia and the touch points that have made this character and her story such a treasure for so many people. Not only is Bridget’s dry sense of humour played up for laughs, but she also falls astray of some of her past vices (cigarettes anyone), and there are some cracking cameos (Isla Fisher as her feisty neighbour Rebecca), along with the presence of the great Dame Emma Thompson as Bridget’s ‘confidante’ Doctor Rawlings.

Romance always turns up in the most serendipitous of places for Bridget, and this time she’s got the attention of both the brazen Roxster (Leo Woodall) and hunky teacher Scott Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor). All of it leads to plenty of fun, and of course, it wouldn’t be a Bridget Jones movie without the presence of Hugh Grant’s scene-stealing rogue Daniel Cleaver, who is now cemented as the ‘naughty uncle’/’forever bachelor’, still can’t help but play his own hand at Bridget.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is, at its heart, a story about moving forward from grief and treasuring lost loves and is a story of how Bridget finds a way to live again – which is itself a new type of transformation for her. Through the narrative beats of the film, she learns how to navigate solo parenthood, finds a new beat to her career, and learns about the hi-jinks that come along with modern dating, and all of it makes for that perfect Galentines treat for fans!

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a perfect treat of a movie for the girlies with its mixture of fun, love, romance and fulfilment, and we’re pretty sure there wasn’t a single woman in the cinema who didn’t cry at some point during the film. It’s a deeply moving story of love and friendship and is a complete celebration of this fabulous character and what makes life so meaningful.

Image: Universal Pictures

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Thirty years after starring in “The Wizard of Oz,” beloved actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub. While there, she reminisces with friends and fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.

While stars shine bright, the light eventually wanes and if there was one star who knew this more than anyone else it was Judy Garland. Beloved in her youth for her incredible voice and wholesome appearance, the years following her time at MGM would take their toll on the great performer and this is where director Rupert Goold settles his focus in Judy. Following Garland through her marital and financial troubles, Judy focuses in on the stars’ final London performances where she was desperate to make a comeback…and which was plagued by problems and errors. Goold brings an authenticity to the film in how he frames his focus around Garland. As a director he’s not afraid to be truthful about her character and even though the events of this film can feel hard to watch at times, he has focused on the film with such clarity that you get a fully rounded portrait of who Judy Garland was and the issues and troubles she was battling against.

In terms of her performance, Renée Zellweger’s turn as Judy Garland is simply astounding. This Academy Award winner offers up a fully transformative performance as the acclaimed cinema icon and when we see her take to the screen we are not seeing Renée Zellweger the actress, we are seeing Judy Garland the lost performer whose starlight has faded fast. Through incredible hair and make-up and wardrobe, Zellweger slips into the shell of Garland and exudes her Golden Age glamour and strut, but it is her psychological and emotional range where she sets herself apart. Stepping into the mindscape of the pained Garland, Zellweger expresses a persona of immense trouble and pain that is kept at bay by a range of substances.

Battling the demons of her past and an existence that has left her as more of a product rather than an individual, Zellweger’s presence ranges from light and joyous moments to incredibly harsh self-loathing and painful comedowns caused by her reliance and over-use of substances. All of it is conveyed with a naturalness on Zellweger’s behalf and her performance as Garland reaches into the soul of her audience. What sets Zellweger’s performance apart is her expression of Garland’s love for performance, and even when faced with the darkest of circumstances she draws upon the presence of her audience to lift herself up. It’s these moments that stay with you courtesy of Zellweger, and her expression of them is simply flawless.

In portraying Judy Garland, Zellweger also gets to unleash her voice once more and just as she did in 2002’s Chicago, she really can carry a note here. Those who love musicals and the classic songs of Garland’s voice will be very impressed with the music and song that is expressed throughout this film, and Judy’s final rendition of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ is certain to move you to tears.

With its creative presentation, Judy is an incredibly lavish and glamourous piece of cinema and it shines on the biog screen. Goold and cinematographer Ole Bratt Birkeland have put together a beautifully rendered piece of film, which really captures the opulence of the swinging sixties and pulls it all together with a muted yet crisp colour palette. The frames of this film are beautifully constructed and Bratt Birkeland has incredible control over the way he uses and constructs the tonal hues of this film. All of it helps to make the cinematic experience of Judy that much deeper and this film is incredibly bold to watch.

Along with presenting a character study of its leading lady, Judy also examines the Hollywood dream and the underlying machine that powers it, along with what happens when the lights get turned off and the dream is over. While tales of Hollywood extravagance and excess are not uncommon, Judy’s presentation of Tinseltown’s shadow is very impressive with its focus on character and the repercussions felt by it. Goold again approaches his exploration of its subject matter with incredible honesty and you’ll certainly come away from this film with a different feeling towards Hollywood’s Golden Age after watching Judy.

In terms of character performance, they simply don’t come much better than Renée Zellweger’s turn as Judy Garland here, and audiences who witness it up on the big screen will be incredibly moved by what they see. Judy is a real spectacle and it certainly is a moving experience.

Image: Universal Pictures

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