Sex and the Meh

Just saw Sex and the City today. I have to say, though I was greatly looking forward to this movie, I was kind of disapointed. For one thing, it was WAY too long (2 1/2 hours!) And it wasn't as fun as the series. There wasn't a lot of escalating conflict, which, as an author, I know, is necessary for a good story. Just a lot of moping around as various holidays passed and nothing moved forward. (Note to aspiring authors: make sure every scene, every line of dialogue moves your plot forward!) More than once I wanted to smack Carrie and Miranda to just stop their emo bs and suck it up.

The movie didn't have the sparkle that the show had and a lot of it seemed overwhelmingly heavy handed. (The Cinderella shoe/Manolo Blahnik metaphor, for example.) They also didnt highlight NYC like the show did so there weren't a lot of "Oh I know that place!" moments. (At the very end they go out to the Meatpacking District, which was cool.)

Also, and I guess this is inevitable, the characters had grown up. Their problems were actually problems that 40 somethings should (and do) face. In the series, when they were all single girls, I felt like their adventures and problems made me smile cause I could relate to them. Maybe with age and maturity, I will appreciate this movie more. I guess I'm just at a different point in life right now and found it hard to relate.

I will say that Big still has a sexy smile and looks great in a tux. Mmmm... And I liked Charlotte having her happily ever after. That was nice. And the beginning- before wedding day (I'm trying not to give away too many spoilers!) was fun. I liked seeing the characters come together again. But overall, I kind of wish they just left the series as it ended. Oh well.

My last thought - Carrie ended up sacrificing what she wanted for Big, which seemed a bit unfair to me. No matter how many times he'd been married, it was HER first time. Her time to sparkle and be a princess! Why should she be forced to give that up or be made to feel wrong for wanting it? She acted happy in the show at the end - but what about in 5 years? When her daughter asks what her wedding day was like and she has to blush and stammer and make excuses? What's wrong with wanting a fairy tale and did Big not love her enough to offer that to her? I don't know the right answer and maybe I'm too young and romantic, but that just kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.

So am I alone in Sex and the blah? Or what? What did you guys think???

Marianne

PS Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm still looking forward to the X-Files movie. :) The truth is out there!! Yeah! Of course I'd look forward to David Duchovney reading the phone book. (OMG Californiacation - best new show!!)