| 'SEX AND THE CITY 2' - review |
| Written by Sian Rafferty |
| Sunday, 20 June 2010 08:31 |
 The first time around, I was simply too young to enjoy the phenomenon which was ‘SEX AND THE CITY’. To me, the show signified that one time of the week when my parents would usher me and my brother into bed early, so they could watch it in peace. Years on, I finally got my hands on the real thing, and I devoured it like a shoe addict who just found out that the last pair of half-price Manolo's are in her size. My affair with the show lasted an amazing and eye-popping couple of weeks - I laughed, I cried, I lusted - oh how I lusted! Over the nights out, the men, the drinks, the fabulous-ity... and the clothes. Oh, the clothes!! I have never felt so simultaneously liberated and demurred at all at once. And now they are back, once more, for another night out on the big screen. A few years on since we last encountered the formidable foursome, they are very much still in the same place. Samantha’s body-clock continues to tick at an ever increasing rate, Miranda worries about her career and family, Charlotte’s prim life is disrupted by two little girls who just don’t want to play proper. And then there is Carrie. Carrie settles into her seemingly perfect life with Big, yet can’t help but feel they are losing the spice, as Big crashes on the couch every night, with his beer and his black and white movies. The solution? Escape it all for the lights and unbelievable glamour of a heady desert oasis - Abu Dhabi - where anything can happen, and believe me... it does.  Setting the film in a region noted for its up and coming reputation for high-class, luxury living, seems like the next logical step for the plot. Yet, I kind of miss the Big Apple. It’s been said that New York plays such a big part in ‘Sex And The City', that it is pretty much the fifth main character. And if you take the city away, well then, all you really have is sex... and a whole bunch of shoes. The plot centres around a pretty traditional American view of the Middle East, one of strict and unbending female suppression. A world where a bunch of freedom loving American women could come in and really send this world crashing down around their magenta heels. To me, this just seems like a bit of an oversimplification and generalisation of an entire country and culture. Yet there are still some pleasant surprises on hand. An all-singling, all-dancing Liza Minnelli is actually pretty remarkable with her performance of ‘Single Ladies', and proves that even at her age, she certainly has a pair of enviable legs. Miley Cyrus’ little cameo just shows us again how in-the-moment and adaptive this show can be. But, it’s not really ‘Sex And The City’ without the guys, and believe me - like a Milk Tray - there is quite a selection. Highlights would definitely be Samantha’s desert fling Rikard Spirit (Max Ryan), who is an architect. And my all-time favourite Carrie flame - Aidan Shaw (John Corbett) - gets pulled back into all the drama. I know, I know... Big is the One for Carrie, but I never really got over wholesome and manly Aidan.  While I don’t think the feeling around this movie can really compare with actually being there the first time this show rocked the world twelve years ago, it’s the closest that us Generation-Y’ers are going to get to the real thing. And when it comes down to it, who cares about the dodgy script-writing and the increasing amount of wrinkles which creep onto the screen. It’s about four women having the time of their lives. It’s about craziness and absolute excess. It’s about seeing these women have the guts to go out and do all the things us ordinary nine to five-rs could only imagine. And in that respect - this movie sure delivers.  THING YOU MOST NEED TO KNOW: This film should come with a warning: "Watching may result in some serious dress, shoe and bag envy. Please shield your credit cards.” HEARTOMETER: 1 2 3 4 5 + 1/5 [ out of 10 ] YOU WILL LIKE, IF YOU LIKE: The outlandishness of ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic', the kookiness of ‘Ugly Betty’, the drama of ‘Gossip Girl’, and the intrigue of ‘Desperate Housewives’. WATCH: Nothing can compare to the original series.  Watch the trailer for 'Sex And The City 2' HERE. |
