Sex and the City: The Movie

Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Chris Noth, Jennifer Hudson, Candice Bergen, David Eigenberg

Dir. & Scr. Michael Patrick King

SPOILERS AHEAD – do not read if you don’t want to know!

I, for one, am a Sex and the City fan. Loved the series, though it did get tired towards the end (as so many long-running TV shows do). Loved the characters, even when they annoyed the hell out of me. Loved the humour and the friendships. I was, therefore, both incredibly excited and extremely nervous about this movie. It was unlikely to satisfy everyone – you can split most fans into pro-Big and anti-Big for a start – and it had to appeal to those who were unfamiliar with the series. So I knew that there would be bits I liked, bits I less-than-liked and probably bits I hated. And, well, that was about right – I was amused, shocked, frustrated, appalled and shed a tear or two. In the end though, I’m glad I saw it and I’m glad they made it – it was great to spend time with the girls again.

We pick up the lives of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte three years after the last episode of the series. Miranda is still in Brooklyn with Steve and their son; Charlotte is blissfully happy with Harry and their adopted Chinese daughter; Samantha has moved to LA with her lover/client Smith; Carrie and Big are still together (shock horror!!!) and about to combine lives in the most unbelievably gorgeous New York apartment. A clumsy, unromantic conversation results in Carrie and Big deciding to get married and wedding madness ensues. And, anyone who has seen the show knows what’s coming next, things don’t exactly go to plan – in short, Big gets cold feet, Carrie smacks him around the head with her bouquet, and the girls end up in Mexico on Carrie’s intended honeymoon. On her return to New York, Carrie hires herself a personal assistant (Louise) to help retain her senses and return all the wedding gifts, and life goes on. Meanwhile, Charlotte falls pregnant, Miranda leaves Steve after an indiscretion, and Samantha has second thoughts about LA and about her relationship. The usual stuff really.

There are multiple happy endings ahead however. Miranda and Steve work things out. Charlotte has her miracle baby. Samantha moves back to New York. And Carrie and Big, well, they end up as Mr and Mrs Big. I don’t usually completely give away the ending of a film, but I really wanted to talk about these endings. So, tough cheese.

Charlotte is Charlotte and, well, hers is the most uninteresting story to be told. Personally, I’ve always found the character to be the most annoying and this doesn’t change in the film. Samantha, on the other hand, is a great character and, although it’s sad that things don’t work out with Smith, it was nice to see her character remain true – she isn’t a relationship type of gal and she certainly isn’t LA material. Nice work on this Mr King. What happens between Miranda and Steve really has me in two minds. Miranda did what many a strong woman would do when they found out about a cheating spouse – no ifs, no buts, no second chances, she was out the door – and this was very true to her character. The fact they got back together, well, I don’t know about that. True, things are nearly never as black and white as they first appear. And, true, Miranda wouldn’t be the easiest person to be married to. But, still, the Miranda/Steve plot of this film troubles me and will probably keep troubling me for some time. That leaves us with Carrie and Big. I’m a fan of Mr Big. Obviously he’s been a cad in the past, but I always had a soft spot. And, to be honest, I think Michael Patrick King was really spot on with this storyline. It was so obviously a case of two hugely flawed people, who were both to blame for a wedding fiasco, and who finally found their way back to what brought them together in the first place.

There are some really, really annoying and frustrating moments in this movie. The extent to which Carrie is devastated after being jilted by Big is hugely extreme, especially when you consider that Miranda has just been cheated on by her husband (surely a bigger and more shocking betrayal of trust). Charlotte is given little to do but be a plot device. Miranda gets unfairly treated in a major way by Carrie – theirs was always the closest and most interesting friendship, and perhaps that’s why such an argument and fall-out was staged, but I still thought it was completely unreasonable. I didn’t quite understand the point of the character of Louise (Carrie’s assistant) except to showcase Jennifer Hudson – yeah, sure, she’s young and looking for love (like Carrie once was) but it felt like a distraction more than a compelling sub-plot. These things grated on my nerves but didn’t ruin what was a mostly enjoyable film.

The acting on offer in Sex and the City was flawless. The actors are so used to these characters; there was no need for warming up or finding the right mix. There’s a chemistry between Carrie and Big, between Miranda and Steve, between the four friends, that is tried and true. A special mention has to go to Sarah Jessica Parker – she really gives her all in this film and it is the best acting I have ever seen from her, in anything. The scene where she confronts Big after he, then she, flees from the wedding venue, is brilliant – shocking and real and ever so slightly amusing. Carrie has always been the most multi-dimensional of the characters and the movie is no exception.

If you would rather stick a blunt spoon in your eye than watch a Sex and the City episode (I’m guessing that is most straight men out there), you should definitely avoid this film. If you’re a fan, you’ll see it, of course you will. Expect to be thrilled and shocked and saddened and amused and annoyed. You will be. But in the end, you will not regret spending another 148 minutes with these flawed, frustrating, wonderful characters.

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Miranda: Is it just me or is Valentine's Day on steroids this year?
Carrie: No, it's the same, we just played for the other team.