Sex and the City (2008) Directed by Michael Patrick King. With Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Chris Noth.
Your response to this big screen up-scaling of Sex and the City very much depends on your opinion of the popular HBO television show from which it came. Upon release, some critics sneered at its pandering to materialism, yet many of them had never seen an episode of the series, which in a sense, renders their opinion of the film somewhat moot.
I’ll cut to the chase. If you loved the show, it’s a safe bet you’ll enjoy this extension of it. For in truth, that is exactly what this is. Despite an opening credits attempt to tell the 6 year back story of the show, any new comers are too late to tag along. The question should be – if you’ve never seen the series, why would you want to watch the film?
Fans of the series, myself included, will know how it ended. Like a fairytale, everything was tied in a neat bow, with plot-lines brought full circle with a very definite sense of resolution. This is an extension of that fairytale, aimed squarely at those who invested in it. All the main players from the series are here, as well as many of the more enjoyable supporting ones. As sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker (or SJP, as she also became known), is on her usual ditzy form. Styled to the nines, Carrie has begun to feel part of New York City, to the extent that if I went there, I’d almost expect to bump into her. Frankly, I’d be disappointed if I didn’t.
While it can plainly be argued that it promotes an excessive obsession with the material world, it is escapism of a kind. To watch Sex and the City and use it as a mirror for how real life should be is preposterous. However, the show isn’t just about how expensive your handbag is, or how many shoes you can fit inside a walk-in closet. Beyond that facade, it is a witty satire on the gender divide, often depicting women as the more demanding, needy and scatterbrained of the sexes. Refreshingly, the show was never about arguing the rights and wrongs of men and women. It was about pointing out the differences for the sake of comedy. Its even-handed approach, in this respect, is often either overlooked or forgotten.
This is a film that requires two different star ratings. One, for the people who’ve never seen the series, another for the fans. If you’re coming in cold, there’s not much here for you. Furthermore, you have to ask yourself how you got here. For the initiated, there’s a lot to enjoy. Michael Patrick King’s direction has the whole thing looking like a glossy magazine, and the end result is like a feature length bonus episode. A $65m one. 2/5 for newcomers. 4/5 for fans.
Gareth Rhodes Film Reviews 
I was a late bloomer “Sex and the City” fan. I didn’t start watching until a few years ago! I think it’s a genius show (though I’ve caught a few mistakes after watching all the episodes). The movie was terrific. What disappointed me was the book, honestly. As someone who worked in NYC for many years, I preferred a column that was in the NY Press called “Date Girl” by Judy McGuire. Her column had more substance about dating in NYC then Candance Burnell’s book which seemed to be biased toward stuffy types and lacked humor. Glad the TV show’s producers didn’t take the book too literally.
It’s great to hear from someone who’s lived and worked in that great city. I’m a fan of the TV show, however I thought the second SATC film really smudged the reputation it as a whole. They really dropped the ball there. I live in hope that the series might re-emerge, although I concede that age might become a factor. Glad to meet another fan, thank you very much for such a thoughtful response. Genuinely good to hear from you.
Did you like “Carrie Diaries”? I loved it and wished it continued, though the 1980s fashion wasn’t authentic enough. They seemed to sneak a lot of the 1990s look into it.
I never caught Carrie Diaries. I must track it down, though. I always enjoyed the aspect of fashion in SATC, but I think some pf that perhaps became too emblematic of the show. At its core, for me, it was a very smartly written series. People tend to easily dismiss the show as al surface, no depth. I loved the characters from beginning to end.