Sex and The City 2. 146 mins. Rated MA15+. Written and directed by Michael Patrick King. Based on the book by Candace Bushnell and characters created for television by Darren Star.
There is no denying the influence and popularity of the award-winning, game-changing ninety-four episodes of Sex and The City (1998–2004). Here was a brash, honest, confronting and engaging series about the lives of four women living in New York City that boldly engaged with issues such as sexuality, promiscuity, self-esteem, love, relationships, careers, family and responsibility – grand themes matched by an equally grand wardrobe budget.
Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and John ‘Mr Big’ Preston (Chris Noth) are firmly ensconced in momentary wedded bliss. Spurred on by the publication of her book I Do! Do I?, the ‘marriage diet’ of takeaway dinners and hours spent lying around watching black and white movies hasn’t quite matched her expectations of what being married would bring to her life. When Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is invited to devise a PR campaign for a luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, she accepts the invitation of an all-expenses paid vacation – on the proviso that Carrie, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) can come with her. What they discover about loyalty, love, individuality and choices, leads each of them to a greater appreciation of all that they have and the very essence of who they are and what they value.
As one might expect after twelve years, Parker, Cattrall, Davis and Nixon are so entirely ‘as one’ with their characters that the dynamics of their performance interaction is constantly alive and buzzing with an unmistakable chemistry and flair. And where one might have expected it all to have become a little tired, Sex and The City 2 is actually never anything less than hugely entertaining.
King’s confident, character-driven screenplay delivers a generous dose of philosophical charm and plenty of laughs. The ‘Abu Dhabi’ sequences (shot in Morocco), deliver plenty of surprises – especially when our sassy New York City girls collide with the customs and culture of the Middle-East, and particularly the role women play in Middle-Eastern society. The scene where the contents of ‘Samantha’s’ handbag are strewn all over the ground at the feet of a group of men is spectacularly played out, as is the sequence where the ‘entire Spring Collection’ is unveiled in the most unlikely of circumstances.
Oscar-nominated Costume Designer Patricia Field (The Devil Wears Prada, Ugly Betty) who was responsible for the cutting-edge, avant garde fashion statements that were one of the most talked-about features of the TV series, returns to lead her team in the creation of some truly extraordinary outfits – all worn with absolute, head-spinning panache by the leads.
Sex and The City’s Cinematographer John Thomas, Editor Michael Berenbaum and Production Designer Jeremy Conway all return to work their magic on the sequel, and Art Directors Miguel López-Castillo (27 Dresses) and Marco Trentini (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time) render the intoxicatingly beautiful locales with great flourish and attention to every glorious, colourful detail. Grab a girlfriend and go!
This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspapers Group and was published in the print edition of the Geraldton Guardian.
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