Sex and the City

Well, my absence from blogging has brought me back for my favorite season...summer movie season. Why I haven't seen Iron Man or Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull yet is beyond me. Those will be reviewed later. Sex and the City though was a must see for me.

I've come to the conclusion that being a fan of the series, and a movie goer, has both helped and hindered my enjoyment of this movie.



The audience joins Carrie and Co. right were those of us who followed the series left off (and expected)...Carrie is enjoying her flowering carrier as a writer, now with three published books, and her love life with Big (now with a "big" full name, John James Preston); Miranda is continuing her struggle to balance professional and personal life; Charlotte is enjoying family life with husband Harry (Evan Handler) and adopted daughter Lily; and finally Samantha has moved her business and boyfriend Smith (Jason Lewis) to L.A. to continue growing Smith's blossoming acting career at the sacrifice of Samantha's professional and personal life in New York.



My only grievance, which has yet to be determined as minor or major, with the movie is the significance of the movie. Yes, it's fun to watch the movie and its over-stylized decadence. But was it necessary to dust these characters off to live through that which fans of the show should already have known these characters to encounter?



The truth is, yes, I expected Big and Carrie to toy with the idea of marriage. I expected Miranda to seclude herself in her work, thus making a strain on her marriage. I expected Charlotte to continue blissfully growing her family. I expected for Samantha to struggle with her independence while in a relationship with Smith. Carrie and Charlotte's respective gays, Stanford (Willie Garson) and Anthony (Mario Cantone) are reduced to minor cameos while leaving the audience curious as to if they are in a relationship or not. Didn't they hate each other on the show?



The reason why the movie fails with substance is because the series was so well written, so well fleshed-out for the audience, that the movie really didn't need to happen for the audience to know what occurs in the lives of their fictional four best friends. I don't believe the movie was made solely to make money, but for the genuine love of the characters and to re-visit that world.



Okay, now I'm stepping down from my soapbox and will just bask in the delicious excesses of glamorama. The fans of the show will enjoy references to the show. Watch for series cameos like Carrie's infamous tutu, muskrat coat and rotary phone.



The stories of the four ladies are enjoyable to watch. Look for heartfelt performances from Sarah Jessica Parker after Carrie and Big's (Chris Noth) wedding fails to come to fruition. Miranada's (Cynthia Nixon) storyline is heartbreaking as she struggles to put aside her pride and save her marriage to Steve (David Eigenberg). And finally Kim Cattrall is great as the sexually and professionally frustrated Samantha. The audience really feels her dissatisfaction at playing second fiddle to a caring man, but longing to be the star in one's own life. Cattrall hints at that great acting intuition she got to show on the series in a moment when she realizes why she really is staying with Smith. Unfortunately there's nothing really new to tell for Charlotte (Kristin Davis) but reaffirm her loyalty to her friends. Watch for Davis shine when she confronts Mr. Big at the wedding and at a restaurant a year later.



Look for strong performances from Eigenberg and Noth (who knew Big could show such affection for Carrie? Isn't that one thing she wanted from the start?). Also look for a forgettable and unnecessary performance from Jennifer Hudson as Louise from St. Louis, big-up to STL!

While it wasn't a complete waste, it really wasn't necessary, which is what I've been saying ever since the movie was talked about since the show ended in 2004. Sometimes you have to let sleeping dogs lie. ***B***