Film Review - Sex and the City 2
Starring - Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon | Directed by - Michael Patrick King | Warner Brothers DVD WS R 146min 2010
Review By Juliet
The film opens with the lavish wedding of Stanford Blache to Anthony (remember Charlotte's wedding planner/gay best friend from the TV show). Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda are all facing the challenges of getting older: Carrie and Big are someplace between passion and monotony in their marriage. Miranda debates quitting her job. Samantha is fighting menopause, and Charlotte is dealing with stress from her kids and their braless Irish nanny. When Smith Jared gets back in touch with Samantha , it leads to a trip for the four friends to Abu Dabi. In a strange turn of events, Carrie runs into Aiden who's there on a business trip. The girls go on exotic adventures while reconnecting with each other and trying to cope with their changing lives. This leads to Samantha getting to trouble with a new man, and Carrie getting into trouble with an old friend.
Right off the bat, let me admit that I liked the Sex and the City TV show. I never thought I would, but after watching a few episodes in syndication, I got hooked. I thought the first movie (which I reviewed here on BloodlineVideo.com) was pretty good, but I wasn't sure about this one. The premise just seemed a tad outrageous, and to be honest a good chunk of it was ridiculous. I mean the whole idea of the girls going to Abu Dabi is, well yes, ridiculous. It's good to finally know more about how the girls met, which is something they never covered during the show. They actually could've done a whole movie about that. It's interesting how the 80s - the decade of decadence - sets the scene for the whole film, which is insanely decadent. I remember hearing an interview with the production designers who said that they wanted to make this film completely over the top. Well, they succeeded. As with the TV show, some of the fashion and sets are beautiful and some of them leave you scratching your head.
The thing that let me scratching my head and groaning and yelling at the screen was Aiden showing up out of the blue. He was my least favorite character on the show, and I really get annoyed every time he pops up and makes Carrie's relationship problems worse. Ugh. Some of the stuff between Carrie and Mr. Big also seemed that a repeat of the first movie, and it really bothers me that Carrie always seems to get rewarded for less than desirable behavior.
There were also some really nice moments in this film like when Miranda and Charlotte talk about motherhood, and the moment with the Middle Eastern women. Speaking of women, there was this weird almost feminist vibe throughout the film. I don't know how to feel about that, but that was always a huge debate surrounding the show too. So without writing a term paper on the subject, I'll say that it was kind of fitting. But don't let all of this turn guys away either.....well okay, I don't expect most men to actively seek this film. However, if for whatever reason you're stuck watching it I have three words: Erin the nanny.
One thing that really impressed me was the soundtrack. Jay-Z and Alicia Key's Empire State was prominently featured throughout as was a lot of classic 80s tunes. However, what had me pleasantly surprised were of the great Middle Eastern sounds. I'm a big fan of triphop and techno with an Eastern flair, and this film had plenty.
DVD extras include Revisiting the 80s - a featurette on styling of the film's opening and a featurette on the soundtrack with Alicia Keyes. One note on the cover: the photoshopping and airbrushing is a bit much. I mean a large chunk of the film is devoted to the idea that the girls are aging, so there's no need to make them look 25 on the cover.
This isn't a bad film, but I wouldn't say it's for everyone. I also don't know if it's something I'd watch again. If you were a fan of the TV show or are seeking something out for some outrageous fashion, then check out this film.