**Spoiler warning- I may give away more than you want to know if you have not seen the movie!
As most of you are/were, I was anticipating the Sex and the City 2 release with intense eagerness, high expectations and gleeful anxiety to be reunited with my favorite friends (fake friends, but still “friends”). I went Friday night with one of my girls, and after letting it sit with me over the long weekend, I hate to say it, but I was not a fan. It’s hard to even explain or put into words, but I’ll try. The essence of what I loved so much about the series and the first movie- the “OMG, I’ve so been there” closeness and bravery and humility in topic choice- seemed missing and in the place of that was a whole lotta flashiness, generally unattractive clothes and a smug detachment from the audience that made the series such a phenomenon. It felt like a big, glittery, campy SHOW, and less like a carefully woven tale of the continuing lives of these four women we’ve grown to care about so much.
Now, there were things I loved, of course. As expected, Carrie and Big’s apartment was a cool, rich, collaborative space with fun bits and pieces that delighted the designer in me (did anyone else notice the Forbes & Lomax clear toggle light switches?No? Just me? Figures.) I didn’t love all of it, but the overall feeling I got from it seemed realistic and like it was carefully curated to look like a combination of the both of the characters. And that closet? I die. But it did feel serious, dark and gave off a very somber vibe. Seeing Carrie waltz into her old renovated apartment made me long for the lively, bold Carrie of yesteryear! I believe I let out an audible “awwwwwww!”. That space continues to be a favorite of mine and in a way, it made me sad seeing it again. Perhaps that was their intent.
The fashion was up and down- Miranda looked fierce and her wardrobe was the best in my opinion- wearable yet fashion forward. Carrie had her moments (the full skirt and Dior t-shirt in the bazaar was entirely ridiculous YET beyond amazing), the dress she wore that made Aidan’s jaw drop and her Halston Heritage pieces (which left me wanting to log into Net-A-Porter immediately) all were examples of Patricia Field’s genius- but what on EARTH was she thinking with that lace crown thingy she wore in Standford’s wedding??? I could not believe my eyes! Some of Samantha’s outfits made me want to avert my gaze and I’m having a hard time recalling any of Charlotte’s clothes, which means they weren’t anything special to me. As for that karaoke scene- all I can ask is why? Painful.
Emotionally, I felt it tried very hard to touch on many woman’s issues (the difficulty of motherhood, work stress, menopause, marriage boredom) which I appreciated ,and yet it felt a bit forced. Kristin Davis did an incredible job portraying the new mother confused by the love and despair she feels with her current life and her struggle to make everything seem perfect. Yet I found the Samantha storyline to be lacking taste and depth. I would have rather seen her wrestle with and embrace her emotions regarding getting older as a single woman instead of fighting it tooth and nail while wearing desperate looking outfits. Miranda’s storyline was very unremarkable in it’s complexity, which is a shame since she’s a great actress and handled her heartbreaking role in the first movie fantastically.
As for Carrie, dear Carrie- I was most disappointed by her. I myself am “a Carrie” (according to the bevy of online quizzes I’ve taken) and I’ve always felt such a connection to her emotional complexity, confusion, creativity, weakness, strength, humor and ability to wear her heart on her sleeve. When I saw the preview included a reunion with Aidan my heart skipped a beat. As debonair and sexy as Big is, Aidan is my forever favorite for her. His passion for her was never in doubt and the fact that she screwed it up with him not once but twice broke my heart. I was happy when she found peace with Big, and seeing that she was bored by him only two years into marriage felt like a cop out for a storyline. Of course, I identified with her frustration with the repetitive predictability that can be marriage and the HORROR of receiving a gift that renders you slack jawed in shock from it’s complete lack of thoughtfulness. For example, I once got a candle shaped like a pair of flip flops and a stuffed animal (together) for my birthday and immediately started sobbing that my husband-then-boyfriend had no idea who I was. (For the record I hate cutesy candles AND stuffed animals). In both instances, it’s not about the material goods, but rather the communication that the giver understands your passions and personal interests. The other part that tickled me was the fact that in every marriage there will come a time when you have to frantically wave your arms (even while wearing lingerie) to get the the attention of your tv-zombie husband. Even when you’re Carrie Bradshaw IN lingerie. But that is where my enjoyment ended.
What I missed was Carrie and New York. Carrie and her writing. Carrie and her inner monologue! She seemed different, as lame as that sounds, and maybe it’s because she’s older and wiser, but maybe it’s because the producers didn’t try as hard this time around because they knew this was going to make money no matter what and they could simply phone it in. Her dalliance with Aidan was so brief and so anti-climactic that I was fidgeting in my seat! His admissions to her about he felt about her, even after they both got married and moved on, had my heart beating faster. But then this quick kiss, scamper off and selfish admission to Big followed by a big, fat diamond from him to remind her “not to kiss other men” felt waaaaaaaaaay too neatly tied up for me and lacking in the obvious inner turmoil that would most certainly inhabit all involved- Carrie, Aidan AND Big, who didn’t seem to care that much.
I’m interested to hear what you guys think. Perhaps I need to see it again, but I know that I’m not the only one who was let down by this film…. regardless, I actually hope they do NOT make a third and leave us to revisiting the episodes that made this series such a big part of our lives.
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