"Sex in the City: The Movie" Review - Written by Spaldy

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When “Sex and the City” first premiered, I was a young, twenty-something woman, fresh out of college, and newly single. I was never interested in fashion and absolutely never talked about my sex life with my female friends. The truth was I did not really have any female friends. Yet, like many single women my age, I followed the show on TV. I found the main character of Carrie Bradshaw to be impossibly selfish and attention seeking; yet, I still tuned in week after week to see the latest upheaval in her life. Why? Well, partially because I found so many of the characters to be likeable. Mostly, I watched because I enjoyed the quick wit and stupid puns. Though Carrie’s bon mots could sometimes make me gag, there was still more than enough good writing in every episode to satisfy any viewers’ appetite.

That said, I was a regular viewer of the show, but I was never one of those women who identified with the lives of the women. Even when I was a redheaded, acerbic lawyer who actively pushed people away, I never once would think to say, “I’m such a Miranda!” No, for me, the show was all about the writing. I saw nothing of my life on that screen. But here it was, the movie based on that same show I saw nothing of myself in and now I was a single thirty-something woman living in a big city. And having seen repeats on cable, I finally realized there were a lot of elements of my life in those shows. Whether I could admit it or not. The truth was I wasn’t sure how I was going to react to the movie.

I arrived early to the theatre and soon found that almost every show was sold out. I go to the movies every Friday night right after work and I have never seen a theatre so jam packed. On top of that, never in my life have I seen so many women and gay men in a place with that tacky a color scheme.

As a single woman, I always feel a little weird when I buy one lone ticket to romantic comedy or a chick flick, but I never felt as odd as I did buying a ticket today in my ratty sweatshirt and high top sneakers. Apparently, I had not just bought a ticket to a movie; I had also wandered into an event filled with skirts, magnificent shoes, and perfect hair. The lobby was overflowing with the smells of popcorn, hairspray, and just a touch of bitch. The AC was not doing its job very efficiently, and as a couple hundred sweaty women waited impatiently in line to buy their diet cokes, I couldn’t help but wonder when a slap fight would break out. The women trying to cut to the front of the line had no one to wink at or flirt with, and so ladies not accustom to waiting, were doing just that. The tension in the lobby was more than a little scary. If any man had wandered onto the scene and made a fat joke, he likely would have been “Goober”ed to death.

Soon though, drinks were bought and seats were found, and several hundred women and gay men were eagerly fussing over their cell phones and chit chatting, waiting for the movie they had been waiting for. The show had only been gone a few years, but you wouldn’t know it from the reception it got once the familiar theme song briefly tinkled its way out of the speakers and into the crowd. For me there was no hype to live up to or expectations to suffer. No, I was just there to have a little fun and to share the experience of watching a familiar TV show with a roomful of people. In many ways, I got what I expected out of the experience.

The movie picks up 5 years after we left off with Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) still together and happily in love with John “Mr. Big” Preston (Chris Noth). The two are moving in together and starting to plan a defined, shared future together. All seems right with the world, but as anyone can tell you, lives, especially those of any television character, get messy really fast.

For those uninitiated in the show, there is a small recap during the credits to catch you up to speed. Even without the assist, it isn’t hard to follow the story from beginning to end. You may wonder what all the references to the rollercoaster of Big and Carrie’s relationships are all about, but you do not really need to know the specifics. If you have seen a television show, then you know that outside the Cleavers, no TV couple has a happy, even keel relationship. Other than some background info, the story is universally accessible to newbies and fans. The themes of the film track the themes of the show, and even add in a few new ones that come with aging.

Is it a good movie? Sort of. The movie is not any better or worse than the show was. Like the show, there are funny moments mixed in with the poignant and sad ones. Like life, you are up and you are down, and the only thing that makes that journey bearable is the people who travel with you. That was the theme of the show, and that is the heart of the movie as well. The laughs are fewer than one would think, but the schmaltz is thankfully kept to a minimum. Although the story moved, it did feel a little long and drawn out. Still, the movie had ample opportunity to run off the rails, yet it managed to stay interesting.

Basically, if you liked the show, you will like the movie. “Sex and the City” is not so much a comedy as it is a painful look at how people affect your life for better or worse. If you are looking for an hour and a half of laughs, then this isn’t the movie for you. And that isn’t only because the movie is two hours and fifteen minutes long. No, it is because this movie isn’t a comedy. It is just the story of some women, their friendships, their neuroses, and their desire to get what they want out of life, if only they knew what that was. The show explored the search for what the women wanted. The movie explores how those women realize what that is and how to keep it in their lives.

Though sometimes the movie is charming, overall it is a rather modest and reserved incarnation of the show. It is a pleasant way to pass the time, but I wouldn’t say you need to see this in the theatre.