The girls are back in the Sex and the City movie
So this is eye candy and certain to bring out the shopaholic in all of us, much to our poverty stricken chagrin. Who could ever live the way these girls do without massive financial support? But I don’t want to quibble; I just want to suspend disbelief, revisit them and enjoy the view, critic or not.
So how is the movie anyway?
SATC’s guilty pleasures and ditzy fun are far from p.c. especially in these tough economic times, but boy are they appealing. Uncool conspicuous consumption be damned. Stack that closet high, high, higher! These girls never pretended to be saints.
Carrie Bradshaw doesn’t wear anything twice – ever. The wardrobe changes come at us at breakneck speed, some eighty for our heroine alone. Just eighty? Seems like so many more. And I loved every one.
It’s some years later and the clothing habits of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte remains as robust as ever.
But they are evolving. They’ve entered a new chapter in their lives, middle age for God’s sake. And with that, their worldview is shifting.
In one telling scene, Carrie passes four stylish girls hitting the city, ponders their big city yearnings (labels and love) and acknowledges that she was what they are, twenty years ago. Not a moment is spent feeling loss.
Miranda is not officially in the city as she, Steve and baby are still sentenced to life in Brooklyn, or so the joke goes. She’s as brittle as ever. Samantha is a H’wood agent representing her stud muffin from a chrome and glass Malibu beach house, and she’s as horny as ever. Charlotte’s deliriously happily married with an adopted daughter and she is as prissy as ever. This makes the México joke even funnier.
Carrie and Big are thinking about sharing real estate. How appropriate that he’s secretly bought them a glorious ‘pre-war’ penthouse wrapped in a promise to upgrade the closets. If they marry, she’ll forgo a ring for a good set of custom closets.
And isn’t it a perfect opportunity for our favourite sex columnist to parade around in a string of spectacular wedding dresses and wear birds on her head?
As much fun and light and froth as it is, the film fully acknowledges that the times they are a changin’. The fearless foursome has grown older and deals with older issues.
Two special birthdays are celebrated – the big 4 – 0 and the big 5- 0. These birthdays don’t come with anxiety. They’re welcomed like good friends worth waiting for and that’s a healthy state of affairs not just for Carrie and Samantha but for Hollywood heroines and truthful screenwriters.
It deals with the issues the girls always faced, love, betrayal, dreams, practicalities, money, shoes, bags and tiny closets. Bitter experiences still happen; age doesn’t immunize them from their own foolishness, selfishness or mistakes.
Their pains and pleasures are skillfully balanced in a witty and lean script. Its gut bustingly funny, with a good balance of poignancy and galvanizing sisterhood. It’s an essential chick flick.
Jennifer Hudson, who picked up an Oscar for her part in Dreamgirls, is utterly adorable as Carrie’s personal assistant. She has presence, heart, and no doubt, a career in the movies if she wants one.
The film cost $65 million dollars, not that much in today’s market. The astonishing wardrobe is simply 148 minutes of product placement. Long lineups should pay the filmmakers back many times over.
Okay I’ll say it; I want another SATC and another and another to follow the girls into senility. Why not? Think of the possibilities!
View stills and video from Sex and the City .
35mm comedy drama 
USA
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