Prisca's Home

Movie: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)
Main Actors: Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall

The Story
Ten years, Bridget was happy together with Marc Darcy, when he suddenly dies, leaving her behind with two little children.

Four years are gone. Her life is chaotic as ever, she tries her best to deal with it for her children. Her friends are slightly worried, convince her to go back to work ... and to look for some sex.

No sooner said than done. She gets her old job back, and two men step into her life: the science teacher of her son and a good-looking, maybe too young man. The first one turns out to be a pain in her neck, the second one, after a night planned as a one-night-stand, her lover for the summer.

For a while, Bridget is happy with her life, until she realizes that all this can't be all.


My Opinion
I didn't expect much more than a funny comedy when watching the movie last Tuesday. And yes, I didn't get disappointed; Bridget (Renée Zellweger) has gotten older but is still the chaotic woman I remember from the older movies. I enjoyed Hugh Grant's and Colin Firth's minor appearances in their well-known roles. Also the new characters fit perfectly into the movie. I could smile and laugh, but I soon noticed something was different.

The movie manages the balancing act between comedy and reality much better than expected. I could feel with Bridget, the widow and single mum, in her early fifties, still mourning her husband and looking for a meaning and some luck for the rest of her life. This doesn't turn the movie around, but gives it a bit more depth than expected.

My Resume
I enjoyed this movie a lot. I got what I was looking for, a feel-good movie. It's the mixture of comedy and the touch of reality that surprised me pleasantly and made the movie even better than expected.

(Fannish 50 / Fandom 50 - post 6)

Movie: Conclave (2024)
Main Actors: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci
Director: Edward Berger
Based on the book Conclave by Robert Harris

Story
The Pope is dead; the cardinals from all over the world come together in the Vatican to select the new one. But not everything is as it is supposed to be. Ambitions, intrigues, and lies come to light, making the difficult task of Cardinal Lawrence, the head of the election, more and more a question of conscience.

My Opinion
Some might think this movie is a boring one about the outdated institution of the church. Others might agree with many websites that call the movie a thriller. I can't agree with any of this.

The movie is not a thriller, nor is it boring. It takes place in the Vatican and tells about the process of the Pope's election. I admit here that I don't know enough about it to say how accurately this is shown - some resources I checked after watching the movie say that it is close but not strictly authentic.

It doesn't make a difference to me because I am aware that Conclave is a movie, not a documentary. The movie lives from the different characters coming together in the Vatican. There are some gripping twists and some interesting minor characters (have an eye on Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes). Real problems, the church has to deal with today, are mentioned but not discussed widely.

There is one scene (the explosion) that I would call superfluous because here the movie tries to create a kind of tension that is actually not necessary. And there is the surprising end of the movie. No, I don't want to spoil here, but I will admit, I can understand that opinions differ about it.

My Resume
Maybe it is not necessary to watch Conclave in the cinema because there are no fantastic effects that work so much better on a big screen. But if you feel ready for an interesting movie away from action, comedy, superheroes, and spaceships, I suggest giving it a try one day.


(Fannish 50 - post 4)

I signed up for Community Thursdays because I think having a day dedicated to all the wonderful communities here at DW and worldwide is a great idea.

There are popular ones that most of you might have heard about. Maybe you are even a member and participate regularly. That's great! That's fun! And I can advise you to check them out if you haven't already done it.

But there are also many smaller communities, created and kept running with just as much love and passion as their big brothers and sisters. These communities can need every kind of promotion, every kind of encouragement and help.

If my posts for 'Community Thursdays' can arouse at least some interest in one or the other community, then it has already fulfilled its purpose.

(fannish 50 - post 2)

This is my journal preparation post for the (hopefully more active) year 2025. This year I miserably failed with most of my goals, and any fannish fun almost ran to zero. But I hope to do better again next year.

1. I signed up for getyourwordsout again with a habit challenge of 120 days for the year.



2. I signed up for inkingitout with a word challenge of 75K.



3. I will again try 'Fannish 50' and make 50 mixed fannish posts in this journal throughout the year.



Yes, I am unsure if I can complete all these challenges, but even one finished challenge will be a big win, and every attempt to complete a challenge is better than never starting it.