By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

The return of Bridget Jones in this 1st film in the series for more than 8 years is like the reappearance of an old friend and, while we were expecting the laughs it conjured, we had quite no idea just how moved by it we would be.

• Read on for reasons including how we we couldn’t help but think how surprisingly charming, life-affirming and sparkling this was

Author Helen Fielding’s partner died in 2016, and here we find our heroine raising 2 children in a chaotic household years after the death of their father Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, although he’s never far from their thoughts and even appears as a half-remembered ghost-like figure here.

Well-meaning friends all have contrasting advice for Renee Zellweger’s Bridget (film Bridget Jones’ Baby) and seem delighted when she starts dating the younger Hampstead Heath park attendant Rockster played by the often shirtless Leo Woodall (who we’re currently enjoying playing gay in Apple’s thriller Prime Target)

Elsewhere Chiwetel Ejiofor plays rules-obsessed and whistle-wielding teacher Mr Wallaker at Bridget’s children’s north London school as her son in particular worries he might forget his late father.

Jones returns to work as a TV producer on a women’s daytime show presented by the fabulous Josette Simon from Blake’s 7 and always funny Sarah Solemani (film How To Build A Girl).

She rediscovers her purpose and realises the age gap in her relationship with the swoonish Woodall can’t survive his drunken admission that he wished he had a time machine.

Elsewhere, Jones remains as hopeless as ever volunteering for the wrong things while revisiting beloved characters from previous films including former love Daniel, played by the reliably funny Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal Q&A) and hilarious friend given life by Sally Phillips.

The feel is Love, Actually with event days including Christmas and New Year’s Eve included to make the story even more universal.

We don’t mind admitting that we even shed a few unexpected tears as a character helps Bridget and her family as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of her beloved husband.

4th films in a series really aren’t supposed to be as good as this but we couldn’t help but think how surprisingly charming, life-affirming and sparkling this was.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy Bridget Jones Tickets
• Have you seen a Bridget Jones film before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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