SEX AND THE CITY II - Movie Review
Hung out with Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte today. And what a bust. Somehow this movie made me dislike three of the characters and feel only "mehhh" about Miranda. And I really enjoyed the TV show, and thought the first movie was cute and fun with surprising dark tones (Carrie's nadir and breakdown). But SEX AND THE CITY II felt like it was made by people only shallowly familiar with the show plus who were subconsciously (overtly?) homophobic and misogynistic.
But no! This was written, directed and produced by Michael Patrick King, the creator of the show, based on Candace Bushnell's books. He's openly gay. He loves the flamboyant NYC women and all their Live Large behaviors. At least, numerous interviews convinced me he did...
But to make this have all the screechy, crazy consumer, fashionista stuff that made the show edgy, but to skimp on character problems and motivations? It's anti-SATC is what it is. My open letter to him would say something like:
Dear Michael Patrick King,
Just saw SATC movie Redux. I thought you loved your characters? Did you have a dry spell when trying to write a new story for them and just shrug and go with the messed-up Hollywood Version of SATC? It's like you made this movie to get everyone so sick of the characters and so bored with Best Gay Friends that we'd never want to see another movie on them. If you loathe them so much, why not pass the baton to other writers and directors who'll make us glad to see them again and care about what they do?
Sincerely,
Disgruntled Fan
Carrie's life is so so fabulous. Incredible apartment, handsome rich husband who's delighted to share with her one of his delights -- old B&W movies with strong female characters -- and a job that requires her only to write a few pages every now and then. She's a whacked out whiner who has no real arc, just finally sort of gets over herself. And to send the 4 to a conservative Arab nation where they're waited on hand and foot by silent Indian enuchs despite them (except Miranda) showing every moment what clueless Ugly Americans they are? That's not Sex and the City we care about. Nutty!
And to start with Anthony and Stanford, who detested each other, having a silly, obscenely overdone wedding? It was playing so unfair with those two characters. Nothing to endear them to us; just too much to make them Gay Jesters and a mockery of marriage. We still need screenplays to treat gay marriage like the deep, emotional ceremony of love it is. They have to go through so much to get the public exchange of vows!
I went to the movie to support women's issues in Hollywood. This wasn't a good example of that at all.
But no! This was written, directed and produced by Michael Patrick King, the creator of the show, based on Candace Bushnell's books. He's openly gay. He loves the flamboyant NYC women and all their Live Large behaviors. At least, numerous interviews convinced me he did...
But to make this have all the screechy, crazy consumer, fashionista stuff that made the show edgy, but to skimp on character problems and motivations? It's anti-SATC is what it is. My open letter to him would say something like:
Dear Michael Patrick King,
Just saw SATC movie Redux. I thought you loved your characters? Did you have a dry spell when trying to write a new story for them and just shrug and go with the messed-up Hollywood Version of SATC? It's like you made this movie to get everyone so sick of the characters and so bored with Best Gay Friends that we'd never want to see another movie on them. If you loathe them so much, why not pass the baton to other writers and directors who'll make us glad to see them again and care about what they do?
Sincerely,
Disgruntled Fan
Carrie's life is so so fabulous. Incredible apartment, handsome rich husband who's delighted to share with her one of his delights -- old B&W movies with strong female characters -- and a job that requires her only to write a few pages every now and then. She's a whacked out whiner who has no real arc, just finally sort of gets over herself. And to send the 4 to a conservative Arab nation where they're waited on hand and foot by silent Indian enuchs despite them (except Miranda) showing every moment what clueless Ugly Americans they are? That's not Sex and the City we care about. Nutty!
And to start with Anthony and Stanford, who detested each other, having a silly, obscenely overdone wedding? It was playing so unfair with those two characters. Nothing to endear them to us; just too much to make them Gay Jesters and a mockery of marriage. We still need screenplays to treat gay marriage like the deep, emotional ceremony of love it is. They have to go through so much to get the public exchange of vows!
I went to the movie to support women's issues in Hollywood. This wasn't a good example of that at all.