Sex and the City 2: The Review…

Hello World!!!

Okay, okay, okay…now that the girls’ movie of the year has been out for just over two weeks, I thought it would appropriate to discuss the  movie at length…First of all, did you like it? Was it better than the first movie? Did it leave you wanting more?

My answers are: Yes, Yes and Maybe…

I’m afraid when it comes to Carrie and the girls, I will always be a HUGE fan…the writers of the “Sex and City” institution would have to do a lot to lose me…As I read or heard somewhere, “Sex and the City” is a love letter to singlehood…And anyone who has been out in the dating game for a while knows that single girls like myself need a good love letter every now and then…soo I LOVED the movie…

And I enjoyed it more than the first movie…Why? Well, first of all, let me state this:  some of the quirkiness, irony and overall rhythm of the HBO television series simply can not be duplicated on the big screen…I did not realize this when I saw the first  movie and so I kept pondering what was missing…Once I realized that I could not expect exactly what I saw in the television series, I could relax and let the story unfold…And so for that reason first of all, I enjoyed the second installment of the movie more than the first…

Now aside from that, I enjoyed the overall plot more anyway…let’s face it…many of my friends (like Carrie and the girls)  and I have been single for a looong while and once we finally tie the knot, I’m sure we will ponder just what being married really means for us…This notion was  the theme of the second movie. I was never one of those women who wanted to get married in my ’20s…for better or worse, I wanted and had to explore this world solo a little bit before committing to the institution of marriage…And I also affirm that part of the reason that I have been single for so long is because I have wanted to be…And for anyone that has treasured singlehood, I would guess that it would be difficult to surrender that individuality, freedom and let’s face it: excitement that you feel when you always have the chance of meeting your next great love…

Carrie finally landed Big after years of practically chasing down this classically emotionally unavailable man around the NYC…And now the two have been Mr. & Mrs. Big for roughly two years…You would think she would be satisfied as she finally has the man and career of her dreams…but as any dyed-in-the-wool single girl has realized years ago, “familiarity breeds contempt…” Carrie has gotten somewhat bored…her husband is no longer the single suitor that shows up outside of her window in his black limo ready to whisk her away on a romantic night on the town…instead, he has become the predicatable husband that would prefer ordering in every night and watching black and white movies on television…(Actually, that sounds great to me, but let’s keep the focus on the heroine of the movie…)

In fact, Carrie is so shaken up by Big’s predictability, she escapes to her single girl apartment that she still owns to write and ponder her marriage…Question: Should every woman retain ownership of her bachelorette pad for occasions such as these? After a couple of days or so go by, her husband shows up outside her window as he did when they were single to whisk her away for a romantic night on the town…they are pleasantly surprised to discover how much excitement they have for one another after a few days away from each other…And to Carrie’s surprise, Big suggests that they take a two-day vacation away from each other every other week…And since Carrie is all about defining new roles, even in marriage, she considers his proposition while secretly scared their marriage may be deteriorating…

And true to form, Carrie MUST discuss all of this when she and the girls head to Abu Dhabi (actually Morroco) for much needed girl time…Question: Even after marriage, should girls regularly schedule a trip just for the girls? The all- expenses- paid trip is a gift from one of Samantha’s potential new clients…(Read NG – you know who you are, I need for you to hook up a similar trip…’K, thanks 🙂 )  What a better place to ponder gender roles and the institution of marriage than in the Middle East…For the purposes of brevity, I won’t get into much of what happened with Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha…but I will attempt to wrap it up here…Charlotte, who dreamed about about being a mother for years, discovers that motherhood, while incredibly rewarding,  is just plain hard… Miranda, who encourages Charlotte to confess and affirm her ambiguous feelings about motherhood, realizes that she can define her career on her own instead of bowing down at the chauvinistic law firm she works for…Samantha, a lovable sex fiend, realizes that her sexuality, while shocking stateside,  is downright criminal in the Middle East….

But back to Carrie…Inevitably, while in Abu Dhabi, she draws The Test to her…everyone should know what the Test is by now…I believe that whenever we are considering making a decision that could change the trajectory of our life usually for the better, we attract the very thing that threatens to take us off course…I first read about this in the The Artist’s Way…I could give a dramatic example of this us…but let me offer a more harmless example…Trying to lose weight, you make a huge salad with just the right amount of broccoli and other veggies and just as you sit down to eat it, your girl calls up and invites you out for coffee and desert…oh the temptation…

And so in the middle of Abu Dhabi of all places, Carrie bumps into Aidan – the other man who swept her off of her feet…(And some of us feel that she should have choosen Aidan over Big anyway…) Feeling somewhat unsure of her relationship with Big, she goes out to dinner with Aidan…Question: Is it okay to go out to dinner with a former love under any circumstances once you are married? One woman told me she felt it was okay since they ran into each other across the world from where they met…

True to her drama-creating form, Carrie allows herself to be kissed by Aidan…and truth be told, she sets up the stage for such a kiss when she wears a skirt with a slit that nearly reaches her waist…Once she actually kisses him though, she instantly feels remorse and remembers what it was like when she was single and all she wanted was Big’s commitment…and of course, all’s well that ends well…Carrie and Big have a heart-to-heart discussion about their marriage that ends with Carrie wearing a huge black diamond ring that while it symbolizes her marriage to Big also demonstrates her individuality…

So what did you think about the movie…

Any thoughts?

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9 thoughts on “Sex and the City 2: The Review…

  1. LOVED part II – while I enjoyed the series and part I, part II was definitely more “real life” with real issues (versus sex, sex and more sex). Should married women still do “girls only” trips? I think its up to that woman. My fiancee and I have a great time together so I am not at the point where I want or feel the need to “get away.” if I am paying for a trip across the country or the world, I want it to be with him. My girlfriends and I do dinner and day time activities – for now that seems to be enough. Dinner with an ex? Only if that ex respects the current relationship – these situations are even more welcomed when the ex is dating/married (happily) and really is simply interested in catching up. In the movie, Carrie seemed to be looking/expecting something – so not really the most neutral time to get together with an ex.
    Great review :-)!

    • I like the idea of girls-only trips. While I am sure that I will prefer the company of my husband to my girls, I always want to be able foster close friendships with my girls…once a year is enough though 🙂 As far as dinner with an ex is concerned…hmmm…some of my exes would be cool to have dinner with…others not so much…it definitely depends on your frame of mind…but I definitely believe in closed doors as much as possible…and thanks for the compliment!

  2. My summary:
    Question: Should every woman retain ownership of her bachelorette pad for occasions such as these?– That would be nice if one could afford it, more than likely I would rent it out or sell.

    Question: Girls only trips—yes I think that is a very good idea! Everyone needs away time.

    Question dinner with an ex?—NO we can catch up on the phone if at all.
    I enjoy being married and am hesitant to do anything that might even have the “appearance” of being inappropriate. My take on it!

    Black diamonds?–okay I know that wasn’t a question BUT I wouldn’t mind one for my other hand!

    • Yeah, in this economy, most of us would have to sell or rent, but I like the idea of having a place to go to every once in a while…I do need alone time…

      And yes black, yellow, pink, whatever…diamonds are truly a girl’s best friend…

      • I understand – and respect – each couple’s ability to define what works for them. However, a second place does not seem appropriate to me. When I say “I do” – I am gaining a lot, but also giving up a lot. This includes having leisure time away as I please. To me, that’s one of the great things about getting married – learning to live with someone and enjoy it. My alone time comes during my daily commute, during my spa trips, when I am out with my girlfriends etc. If I needed a whole separate place for myself – perhaps I should not get married.

  3. There are some couples who do live apart…Joy Behar on “The View” and her man only recently moved in together after 20 years in a relationship…they maintained separate residences for all of that time…of course, they are not married, but they have been together for over 20 years…not that I am considering or agree with such an arrangement, but I wanted to offer an example of a couple who obviously redefined typical expectations in a long-term relationship or marriage…

    • Yes, I understand – but as you stated, the key difference is that they are not married. Like Oprah and Stedman, somewhere along the line they decided that the traditional way of doing things did not work for them.