Film

Lightly Glittery for 'Sex'

By Marcos Bernal-Salas

Friday, May 30, 2008

New York City is all about labels and love; at least when it comes to the women that surround this concrete jungle. Of course, I’m deliberately paraphrasing Carrie Bradshaw’s opening line in the ‘Sex and The City’ film. So it seems to me that the ever posing question – what do women want and can they have it all? – has suddenly taken the backseat in the film version of a successful show. Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha have returned to the big screen to fill in the gaps that the show couldn’t explore in cable network. But more to the point to continue their story and what happens after love – not for the women of NYC – but what happens to Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha after they found love.

Michael Patrick King condenses four shows into one long script, where each lady gets the adequate time to develop and solve their relationship woes. And the story goes full circle with Carrie who is SATC’s ring leader and favorite gal. Now, it’s hard to criticize these women and overall the very well crafted story here – after all King succeeds at delivering a solid and strong narrative. Even though at the end the fairy-tale is nicely wrapped up with a glittery pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes. Through the 2 hours and 15 minutes of the film the audience delves into familiar territory. The four friends seem to be alright at first, eating and drinking at the weekly get-together, chatting of all things about sex.

From then on, each lady takes a turn at the go. Miranda is married, overworked and undersexed. Charlotte is happily married, blissfully cheery and a brand new mom. Samantha is Smith Jerrod’s Hollywood management machine – and never undersexed. And Carrie, well she’s still with Mr. Big – now known as John – and looking to move in together. It’s all bliss for the four gals of the city that is until Carrie and Big decide to tie the knot. The latter becoming the catalyst of things that will change each woman’s life. I will not go into all the details of the story – because it’s a long deconstruction of each character – and I only have some many words. Suffice to say, Charlotte does the implausible during a Mexico vacation, Miranda tests her marriage and validation of love, Samantha finds herself again. And Carrie well finds her true love once again. If it sounds repetitive, it’s because though as great as the story is it tends to become as such. There’s not a lot new in the film that it has not been explored in the TV series before. Perhaps the fashion and the R rated stamp that allows for more freedom in the creative department.

The latest ‘Sex and the City’ film is an entertaining adventure off the successful TV series. Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha have become the favorite NYC women in popular culture. The film lightly touches into the question; what happens after love? The answer only applies to the four characters of the series that many women have come to love. And that’s okay – after all it is a summer film.