■ Movie review
'Bridget Jones' remains enjoyable, lacks continuity
Positive response to advanced screenings brings this
predictable sequel to theaters earlier than expected
BY AMY LICHTY
PULSE REPORTER
When audiences last saw Bridget
tones (Renee Zellweger), she was
sans pants on the snowy streets of
London, kissing her (finally real
ized! one true love, Mr. Mark Dar
cy. After loads of mishaps, misery
and giant panties, Bridget is back
and still in love.
Funny how the second movie be
gins just four short weeks after the
first left off, while Bridget and Mark
are blissfully falling for each other,
yet it’s warm enough for Bridget to
wear unflattering camisoles and
short dresses. An unfortunate lack of
continuity pervades “Bridget Jones:
Edge of Reason,” and although this
is just one mistake in a string that
UO School oj Music & Department of Dance
I
NOVEMBER CONCERTS
For more information on School of Music events, call 346-5678.
Thur. YING STRING QUARTET with
11/11 TURTLE ISLAND STRING QUARTET
UO Chamber Music Series 8 p.m., Beall Hall
Reserved seats $12, $25, $29; in advance from Hult
Center (682-5000) or EMU (346-4363).
Fri-Sat WALTER KENNEDY & DANCERS
11 / 12 Dance Faculty & Guest Artists 7:30 p.m, Soreng Theater
11/13 New dance works, plus a tnbute to Bella Lewitzky.
$10, $15, $20 Reserved seats; call 682-5000
Sun. OREGON WIND ENSEMBLE
11/14 UO Ensemble 3 p.m., Beall Hall
Guest Artists: Giancarlo Guerrero & Victor Steinhardt
$5 General Admission, $3 students & senior citizens
Sun. FRITZ GEARHART, Violin
11/14 UO Faculty Artist Senes 8 p.m, Beall Hall
$9 General Admission, $5 students & senior citizens
Tue. UNIVERSITY OPERA ENSEMBLE
11/16 Performing scenes & arias. 8 p.m., Beall Hall
$5 General Admission, $3 students & senior citizens
Wed. OREGON COMPOSERS FORUM
11/17 New music by UO composers. 8 p.m., Beall Hall
FREE Admission
Fri. THE JAZZ CAFE
11/19 UO Jazz Combos 8 p.m, Room 178 Music
$5 General Admission, $3 students & senior citizens
Sat FUTURE MUSIC OREGON
11 /20 Computer-Intermedia Compositions 8 p.m., Room 198
$5 General Admission, $3 students & senior citizens
Sun. UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY
11/21 UO Ensemble 3 p.m., Beall Hall
Guest Artist: Nancy Andrew, flute soloist.
$5 General Admission, $3 students & senior citizens
Mon. OREGON PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
11/22 UO Ensemble 8 p.m., Beall Hall
$5 General Admission, $3 students & senior citizens
TUe. JOHN JANTZI, Piano
11 /23 UO Faculty Artist Senes 8 p.m., Beall Hall
Guest vocalists: David Gustafson, Amy Hansen
$9 General Admission, $5 students & senior citizens
For our complete calendar, check: music.uoregon.edu
makes “Edge” weaker than its pred
ecessor, it is still a funny, smart and
enjoyable movie.
The story begins with Bridget bask
ing in the happiness of her new rela
tionship, but as everyone who knows
Bridget can guess, it quickly turns
sour as her insecurities get out of con
trol. Enter Rebecca— the beautiful,
skinny new intern at Darcy’s law firm,
with legs up to her chest. Bridget’s
jealousy, which predictably gets the
best of her, swiftly threatens her new
paradise with Mark.
The return of Daniel Cleaver (Hugh
Grant) is another perk of this movie,
although I do believe the “R” rating is
easily because of the things that come
out of his mouth alone. And although
Cleaver’s character is not found in the
book version of “Bridget Jones: Edge
of Reason” by Helen Fielding, he is an
essential and necessary character to
move this film along. Without
Cleaver, there would be little conflict
and no “villain” — plus, his rude and
vulgar, yet witty speech is really fun
ny. Besides, it never hurts to see Grant
on the big screen.
Zellweger is once again perfect as
the adorably imperfect Bridget, whom
audiences grew to know and love
three years ago when the first and
wonderful “Bridget Jones’s Diary” en
tered the world. But Bridget is a bit
different this time around; she lacks
some of the cynicism and bitterness
that made her so hilarious in the first
movie, and the essential depressed
and slightly desperate Bridget who
puffed like a chimney and drank like a
fish is nowhere to be seen. Fortunate
ly, the typical accident-prone and
nothing-goes-her-way Bridget is still
around and as amusing as ever.
“Edge” displays a new, adorably in
love and optimistic side of Bridget,
but this change doesn’t necessarily
give her character more depth.
Colin Firth reprises his role as the
stiff, boring and flat Mark Darcy. The
first movie made viewers question
what Bridget saw in this guy, and the
second one doesn’t to answer the
question any further. One can’t help
rooting for Bridget and Mark as a cou
ple. It’s obvious that she loves him,
and an audience member can feel that
and wants it to work out for her sake.
Her parents, played by Jim Broad
bent and Gemma Jones, are back but
with less story line this time around.
Unfortunately, the wonderful situa
tions and hilarious interactions be
tween the parents that take place in
JONES, page 12
Music: Tegan and Sara produce a solid album
Continued from page 7
for what he lacks. But whenever
Brennan’s unexpressive vocals kick
in, it all falls apart.
On their self-titled debut, the Ditty
Bops manage to create a cohesive, in
telligent musical vision out of such
varied parts as blues, ragtime, folk
and old-time string bands. The music
is catchy, invigorating and any num
ber of other positive adjectives. The
songwriting duo of Abby DeWald
and Amanda Barrett crafts great pop
songs that evoke the early work of
the Violent Femmes without actually
sounding anything like them.
Unlike most old-time style string
bands, the Ditty Bops aren’t
constricted by such pithy matters as
tradition. Drums drive the beat, the
melodies borrow as much from mod
em pop rock as blues and ragtime,
electric instruments make a few ap
pearances and the lyrics deal with
universal concerns in a thoroughly
modem context. The band seems to
do whatever necessary to make the
music sound as good as possible,
which is very good.
Another songwriting duo has also
released a good pop album. Tegan
and Sara’s latest, “So Jealous,” is a
solid collection of pop that draws
heavily from a long tradition of folk
rock. The songs follow the theme of
relationships in decline (yeah, don’t
hear a lot about that, eh?). The
group sticks to the concept with the
stubborn tenacity of a progressive
rock band, following it through all of
its permutations.
More often than not, the album
works as intelligent music that deals
with relationships in mature, adult
terms. When it works, the songs are
catchy pieces of pop rock as good as
anything out there. The problem is
that when it doesn’t work, the songs
hardly rise above filler. In this case,
the good outnumbers the filler by a
lean margin, and overall the album is
worthwhile.
ryannybnrg@dailyemerald.com
OC: Familiar characters set to face new plot twists
continued trom page b
to get to Tahiti by means of his boat?
Will Julie and Caleb’s marriage be
able to last a summer? Will Ryan be
gone from the Cohen family forever?
Just how much alcohol can Marissa
possibly consume in one summer?
Last Thursday, a predictable 60
minutes revealed to us what became
of our favorite rich Californians dur
ing the show’s six month hiatus. Af
ter some debate, Seth and Ryan both
returned to the Cohen home with
open arms. Marissa is still drinking.
Julie is falling into the same pattern
with new hubby Caleb as she did
with ex-husband Jimmy. Summer
speaks of a new boy she is dating,
but she is still not over Seth. Jimmy
and Haley are still going strong. We
had the chance to see Jimmy and
Julie being genuinely civil to each
other for the first time ever (includ
ing during the time they were mar
ried) . We were also lucky enough to
be temporarily graced with the face
of Luke, whom we hadn’t seen in
quite some time (why Seth chose to
visit him of all people is a mystery to
me). I don’t know about everyone
else, but I was surely excited to see
Luke’s 503 area code number posted
on the Cohens’ refrigerator (Seth
was visiting him in Portland).
I am hoping tonight’s episode
will be a bit more exciting. I am
looking forward to seeing what un
folds between Summer and Seth
and Marissa and Ryan. From the
previews, it looks like Marissa and
Ryan are getting back together (or at
least hooking up). It will also be inter
esting to see if Haley will accept Jim
my’s marriage proposal. And what
will poor Julie do when she realizes
that once again, not everything can be
handed to her on a golden platter
without the law being involved?
There appears to be a lot in store for
the characters this fall. I can say that I
am looking forward to more family ri
valries, more psychotic characters
(Oliver), more betrayal, more fights,
more parties and, of course, more
fashion. We are also expected to see
some new faces, including a few new
flames for several of the characters.
Here’s to an exciting season!
dahvifischer@ dailyemerald, com
492 E. 13th 686-2458
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