BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (15)

A WITTY, entertaining and wonderfully funny film.

Much has been made of the fact that American Renee Zellweger was hand-picked to play the heroine.

What is wrong with one of our outstanding British actresses we asked? Such as the wonderfully English Minnie Driver.

However, Renee plays a very likeable, funny and totally believable Bridget.

The transition from book to film can easily become a disaster and as a big fan of the book, my head was already buzzing with pre-conceived images of the characters.

How they should look and how they should sound.

But this time I was not to be disappointed as it was magical to see all of Helen Fielding's characters brought to life on the big screen.

The two leading men Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver, (played by the quintessentially English Colin Firth and Hugh Grant), bring about a lot of the laughs as they vie for Bridget's affections.

The film is directed by Sharon Maguire, but be assured, this is not just a women's film, men around the country will have been laughing just as hard as the women when the film premiered last week.

Bridget Jones's Diary is an excellent directorial debut by Sharon Maguire and will endear Renee to the British public.

Verdict: A Journal of Discovery!

Rating: 9/10

WIN A NIGHT OUT AT THE CINEMA FOR YOUR FAMILY

CONTINUING the Guardian's weekly Cinema Competition, we have another family ticket for the film of your choice at the Odeon in Festival Park, Hanley.

The four tickets, worth £20, will be valid from Monday through until Thursday for a film of the winner's choosing as long as you can get to the theatre yourself.

To enter just answer the following question about this week's film review and send the answer along with a daytime telephone number to The Cinema Competition, Crewe and Nantwich Guardians, 42 High Street, Crewe, CW2 7BN or you can e-mail us at crewe@guardiangrp.co.uk with your competition answer.

Just tell us the name of another English actress and have your answers in by Thursday April 26, the winner for the April 5 Miss Congeniality competition is Mrs M Edwards, 763004.