I really wanted to love this movie: I'm in my 30s and feel like I grew up with Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. But as much as I wanted it to work - it didn't.
I just wasn't that into it. There, I've said it.
Don't get me wrong - I was mostly entertained by the movie and if you're a fan of the show it's a must-see. Plan a night out with the girls and have some fun. I also think that it's worth a look if you're planning a wedding. I won't reveal any plot twists and spoil the experience for you, but suffice it to say that the movie revolves around weddings and marriage - there's a wedding that gets out of control, a sexless relationship, commitment fears and, of course, a perfect marriage that works as a foil to all the drama. It's a lot to fit into one movie, and it shows.
The good news is that there's a lot of wedding style to admire - I thought that the location for the big wedding was romantic and sweet, and the bridal fashion was outrageous in a wickedly good way. And I absolutely loved the message that was sent through the choice of wedding gowns (you'll see what I mean when you watch the movie.) Early in the movie there's a fabulous wedding dress montage at Vogue magazine, where Carrie salutes dream designers Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Christian Lacroix, Lanvin and Dior - there's enough pretty and fantasy there to make the movie worthwhile. Almost.
Unfortunately, things go downhill from there.
It's not the predictable ending, even though I guarantee that if you think about it for three minutes you'll figure out what happens to each of the girls . That's not necessarily a bad thing; it just means that the movie ends exactly as it should. I was happy with the ending, or rather, the ending-s.
What I found disappointing is how we get there. What could have been a frothy confection of fashion, love, and friendship gets bogged down by at times mediocre production values, obvious product placement and worse, visual gags worthy of a teen flick. There's enough pubic hair, poop and amorous dogs to make you wonder if you didn't accidentally wander into a Farelly brothers movie.
True, even the best of the SATC television episodes were at most a guilty pleasure, but along with stilettos and conspicuous consumption the show served slices of the reality of modern city life. That humanity is why we fell in love with the characters in the first place. The movie's heart gets lost between all the in-jokes and flashbacks and the film ends up as a cartoon parody of itself. It's too clever by half: No opportunity to remind us of SATC's impact on pop culture is lost. Young women stretching their budgets to carry designer handbags and negotiate city sidewalks in Manolos are teased in a sweet but patronizing way. The writers were probably trying to show how much the women have grown, but I saw a few young fans squirm when Carrie smirked that they stopped drinking Cosmopolitans "when everyone else did." Adding insult to injury, the film opens and closes with shots of younger clones of the four friends; in the opening scene the real Carrie giggles knowingly when a mini-Carrie compliments her outfit.
We get it: You know we love you. And we do, even if the movie doesn't live up to the standard set by the series.
Have you seen the movie yet? What did you think?
What I found disappointing is how we get there. What could have been a frothy confection of fashion, love, and friendship gets bogged down by at times mediocre production values, obvious product placement and worse, visual gags worthy of a teen flick. There's enough pubic hair, poop and amorous dogs to make you wonder if you didn't accidentally wander into a Farelly brothers movie.
True, even the best of the SATC television episodes were at most a guilty pleasure, but along with stilettos and conspicuous consumption the show served slices of the reality of modern city life. That humanity is why we fell in love with the characters in the first place. The movie's heart gets lost between all the in-jokes and flashbacks and the film ends up as a cartoon parody of itself. It's too clever by half: No opportunity to remind us of SATC's impact on pop culture is lost. Young women stretching their budgets to carry designer handbags and negotiate city sidewalks in Manolos are teased in a sweet but patronizing way. The writers were probably trying to show how much the women have grown, but I saw a few young fans squirm when Carrie smirked that they stopped drinking Cosmopolitans "when everyone else did." Adding insult to injury, the film opens and closes with shots of younger clones of the four friends; in the opening scene the real Carrie giggles knowingly when a mini-Carrie compliments her outfit.
We get it: You know we love you. And we do, even if the movie doesn't live up to the standard set by the series.
Have you seen the movie yet? What did you think?
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Dress of the day: Anastasia by Maggie Sottero
Unusual wedding cakes from Dragons and Daffodils
