Sex & the City (B or 3/4 stars)
Sex. City. Never have 2 words meant more to so many women, gay men, & the straight men who oblige their women. Hey, some of them even really liked the TV show, like me. And so, it was with great curiosity that I went to see 'Sex & the City: The Movie', written & directed by Michael Patrick King. Though I have some complaints, it stays completely true to the heart of the television series; and it felt like a movie (not a stringing together of 5 episodes). Sure, there is fashion, tons of bling & tons of sentimentality. But it's the camaraderie & love between these 4 women (who all fans have loved for some 10 yrs. now) that has always won me over. The foundation of their friendship(s) is as rock solid and as entertaining as ever.
The film opens by filling us in with what the women have been up to for the past 3 years. Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) is still dating Mr. Big, now John Preston (Chris Noth). She's still his 'one', and they've come to an agreement (it seems) to finally marry. Samantha (sexy Kim Cattrall) is currently living the high life with Smith (Jason Lewis) in California; but she's bored, she misses New York, and her feelings for Smith are floundering. Charlotte (cute Kristen Davis) is still happily married to Harry (Evan Handler). But a biological surprise has made her nervous about her near future. And though Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) thinks Steve (David Eigenberg) is content to go through their marriage averaging 1 sexual encounter for every 6 months, she may be in for a rude awakening.
Of course, problems of varying degree arise for each of these women over the course of the 2 hours + running time. Though she's a wildly successful author, Carrie suffers a personal blow & needs to hire an assistant, Louise (a fun Jennifer Hudson), to manage both her career & leisure activities for a while. Samantha tries to be the stay-at-home girlfriend (while Smith's career soars), but she voyeurs and salivates over her neighbor's sexual escapades. She misses a time in her life when SHE was in control. Miranda's job keeps her busy enough to neglect some of her marital duties. After a heartbreaking setback, she not only fouls up a potentially happy future for herself, but jeopardizes one of her friends', as well. And Charlotte? Well, she's mainly around for comic relief here.
I'd say that this is one of the few slightly puzzling quibbles I have with the film. Charlotte had a definite character arc during the TV series, but she's the sacrificial lamb in the plot department here. Don't get me wrong, she's still great & provides lots of laughter throughout ("I curse the day you were born!"). But the other 3 women have full bodied stories to tell. Another quibble? I wish the stories were told with some more imagination. Everyone basically ends up where they began; which is fine. It's the intangibles of the film that make up for some of the predictability. Even the most hardcore of fans can respectfully recognize this.
There are lots of criticisms out there concerning the top-heavy fashion component in the film, and if it shows the modern American woman as too materialistic. While I 'do' think it was in excess (to a fault), this is fictional entertainment. The show is almost as much about clothes, shoes & NYC as it is about the 4 leading ladies. Women love fashion, and TV shows/movies always take everything to an extreme. None of these aforementioned issues trump the positive overall feeling you get when leaving the theater. 'Sex & the City' is a great film for & about women. It speaks volumes about female friendship, sex, love, independence, juggling careers, surviving rocky relationships ... even motherhood. Sarah Jessica Parker guides us with the wit, vulnerability & emotional baggage that Carrie has always encompassed. And in this movie, she goes to some very dark places; incredibly dark. I admire how 'unfabulous' a lot of this story wound up being.
The screenplay meanders a bit; but mainly hits the right notes for its devout followers. It's funny, warm, naughty, & always a welcome (just how the show used to be). My last comment on the film surrounds its blockbuster status, and what it says about men & women moviegoers. I'm assuming that this will make tons of $$, making it the 1st female blockbuster ... well, ever. Summer blockbusters are usually reserved for male audiences, but the women get a chance to have a blast this time. Sure, non-fans will have a hard time respecting or enjoying this (and understandably so; had I not watched the X-Files TV series, I would have hated the X-Files movie). But if you knew Carrie, Sam, Miranda & Charlotte and witnessed their every up & down for the last 10 yrs., you'd understand the film a lot more; it's only common sense. I enjoyed this movie, and am happy to have shared a few more extra hours with these 4 fantastic women.
The film opens by filling us in with what the women have been up to for the past 3 years. Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) is still dating Mr. Big, now John Preston (Chris Noth). She's still his 'one', and they've come to an agreement (it seems) to finally marry. Samantha (sexy Kim Cattrall) is currently living the high life with Smith (Jason Lewis) in California; but she's bored, she misses New York, and her feelings for Smith are floundering. Charlotte (cute Kristen Davis) is still happily married to Harry (Evan Handler). But a biological surprise has made her nervous about her near future. And though Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) thinks Steve (David Eigenberg) is content to go through their marriage averaging 1 sexual encounter for every 6 months, she may be in for a rude awakening.
Of course, problems of varying degree arise for each of these women over the course of the 2 hours + running time. Though she's a wildly successful author, Carrie suffers a personal blow & needs to hire an assistant, Louise (a fun Jennifer Hudson), to manage both her career & leisure activities for a while. Samantha tries to be the stay-at-home girlfriend (while Smith's career soars), but she voyeurs and salivates over her neighbor's sexual escapades. She misses a time in her life when SHE was in control. Miranda's job keeps her busy enough to neglect some of her marital duties. After a heartbreaking setback, she not only fouls up a potentially happy future for herself, but jeopardizes one of her friends', as well. And Charlotte? Well, she's mainly around for comic relief here.
I'd say that this is one of the few slightly puzzling quibbles I have with the film. Charlotte had a definite character arc during the TV series, but she's the sacrificial lamb in the plot department here. Don't get me wrong, she's still great & provides lots of laughter throughout ("I curse the day you were born!"). But the other 3 women have full bodied stories to tell. Another quibble? I wish the stories were told with some more imagination. Everyone basically ends up where they began; which is fine. It's the intangibles of the film that make up for some of the predictability. Even the most hardcore of fans can respectfully recognize this.
There are lots of criticisms out there concerning the top-heavy fashion component in the film, and if it shows the modern American woman as too materialistic. While I 'do' think it was in excess (to a fault), this is fictional entertainment. The show is almost as much about clothes, shoes & NYC as it is about the 4 leading ladies. Women love fashion, and TV shows/movies always take everything to an extreme. None of these aforementioned issues trump the positive overall feeling you get when leaving the theater. 'Sex & the City' is a great film for & about women. It speaks volumes about female friendship, sex, love, independence, juggling careers, surviving rocky relationships ... even motherhood. Sarah Jessica Parker guides us with the wit, vulnerability & emotional baggage that Carrie has always encompassed. And in this movie, she goes to some very dark places; incredibly dark. I admire how 'unfabulous' a lot of this story wound up being.
The screenplay meanders a bit; but mainly hits the right notes for its devout followers. It's funny, warm, naughty, & always a welcome (just how the show used to be). My last comment on the film surrounds its blockbuster status, and what it says about men & women moviegoers. I'm assuming that this will make tons of $$, making it the 1st female blockbuster ... well, ever. Summer blockbusters are usually reserved for male audiences, but the women get a chance to have a blast this time. Sure, non-fans will have a hard time respecting or enjoying this (and understandably so; had I not watched the X-Files TV series, I would have hated the X-Files movie). But if you knew Carrie, Sam, Miranda & Charlotte and witnessed their every up & down for the last 10 yrs., you'd understand the film a lot more; it's only common sense. I enjoyed this movie, and am happy to have shared a few more extra hours with these 4 fantastic women.