February Movies Part 2: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Love Hurts, Captain America: Brave New World, You're Cordially Invited

February isn't just about catching up on Oscar movies. It's also about watching the random dregs of cinema that studios throw into theaters and on streaming. Wade on into those murky waters - you may find some gold!

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy: It should come as no surprise to everyone that I absolutely love the Bridget Jones novels, newspaper columns, and movies. I love Colin Firth, I love Pride & Prejudice, it is all one big meta dream for a Jane Austen fan. But of course, when Helen Fielding decided to kill off Mark Darcy in the third novel, I was thoroughly devastated. And this is the movie adaptation of that tale. So naturally, it is bittersweet, but it does feature a ghostly Firth as well as a still alive Hugh Grant as a slightly less roguish Daniel Cleaver, who is no longer ruining Bridget's life but is a "helpful" babysitter of sorts as she tries to move on with her life. And Renee Zellweger is charming as ever while delivering Bridget's endless stream-of-consciousness monologues. There are plenty of reappearances from original supporting cast members, but we also get the wonderful Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mr. Wallaker, Bridget's son's science teacher, as well as Leo Woodall as the ridiculously named Roxster, a hot young thing that Bridget is cougaring up with after some Tinder texting. There should be no surprises in terms of how things end up, but like all great romcoms, the joy is in the journey, not the destination. While I missed Mark Darcy, this movie is still a fun nostalgic romp and a reminder of how you can never help rooting for Bridget. It's also very melancholic, and I did find myself getting weepy for our darling heroine at times. But do not worry - everything works out exactly as you want it to, in breathtakingly swoony fashion. It's an absolutely perfect post-Valentine's treat.

Love Hurts: I was excited to see Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose team up in an action romance - that's some fantasy casting right there. This is a movie about what happens when a realtor named Marvin (Quan) is confronted by his dark past that he thought he had left behind, as well as by Rose (DeBose), the woman that he thought he would never see again. You'll get all the back story you need from the trailer, so suffice to say, Marvin used to work for some bad people and did bad things, he got out of the game but is now being dragged back into it, and will team up with his lady love, Rose to win the day. Along the way there is a LOT of ultra-violent fighting, so don't go into this if you don't like watching people get stabbed and killed in various painful ways. Quan used to be a stunt coordinator, so the man is incredible to watch in these fight scenes, but I prefer my cinematic fights to be bloodless, thank you very much. It's hard to appreciate the artistry of stunt choreography when a man has been stabbed in the eyeball. So, check it out if action movies without much plot are your thing, but don't go into this thinking you're going to get a lot else. 

Captain America: Brave New World: This movie is...fine? Directed by Julius Onah and written by a bunch of dudes (you will definitely get the sense that this script was written by committee), this is yet another installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where we get to see Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson officially swan around as Captain America and save the world. We even have Harrison Ford as the American President who has a testy relationship with Cap but recognizes the need to work together. There is the usual slew of Marvel jimjams, all of which sailed right over my head, especially since I had never watched the 2008 Hulk movie with Edward Norton that this movie apparently was referencing a lot. Mackie and Danny Ramirez as Cap's sidekick, Joaquin Torres, aka the new Falcon, are charming as ever and had great chemistry, and Carl Lumbly continues to be great as Isaiah Bradley, the Black super soldier who was experimented on for thirty years, then finally given his due in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and now is due to be treated horribly again in this film. Like with any Marvel movie these days, you can go into it to be mildly entertained, but if you're expecting to have a transcendental experience, think again. Even Harrison Ford couldn't save this one. 

You're Cordially Invited: Written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, this movies stars Will Ferrell and Resse Witherspoon as Jim and Margot, two people who have accidentally double-booked the same small inn on a remote island for the wedding of a loved one. In Margot's case, her sister Neve (Meredith Hagner) is getting married, while Jim is there for his daughter Jenni's (Geraldine Viswanathan) wedding. As you can imagine, many shenanigans ensue between the two wedding parties after they decide to share the space for the weekend and end up sabotaging each other in a myriad of ways. And of course, weddings bring out a lot of complicated family dynamics, with Margot struggling to reconcile with her difficult family that she feels very out-of-touch with, while Jim struggles to truly let his beloved daughter go after years of raising her as a widower. There are certainly over-the-top moments, and this is by no means a subtle comedy, but it does have a tremendous amount of heart and a decent understanding of how humans behave in high-pressure familial situations. I found it be to a thoroughly mindless and entertaining way to while away an afternoon so can happily recommend it as a decent distraction this weekend.