Sex and the City review.

Last night was MY premier to Sex and the City. I went with six girls, each representing one or more of the characters; Pregnant with kids, married with kids, and just getting married-- me. We were only missing the over the hill, outspoken, overly promiscuous, single woman known as Samantha.

SATC has always been (but not to some) an exaggerated and somewhat sought after version of real life. For years, women all over have been relating their lives to specific episodes of SATC and the characters saying: “I’m more like Charlotte or Carrie, or Miranda…” Not often do you hear someone compare themselves to Samantha. That’s what makes her such a lovable character; she brings the vicariousness to the shows and movies.

Walking into the theatre last night was like walking into a club where everyone sits and doesn’t talk for two hours; there was a noticeable division between the SATC2 viewers and everyone else. Girls there to see the movie were dressed up nicely, definitely in heels (except me), make-up done and hair did. It was comical: some of those same people, albeit a slightly different genre, would never dress up for the blockbusters Harry Potter or Twilight.

The girls I went with all had different opinions on which movie was better, but the majority of the consensus was that they were equally good in different ways.
The 1st SATC stayed true to the characters and their drama, finally forming who they are for the rest of their lives—finally grown up in a sense. It appealed to the audience because it was similar to a normal episode, not straying from the same story. I personally enjoyed the second movie more because it acknowledged that the characters are already established and despite trying to deal with their lives now: married with kids, or aging uncontrollably, it was time to have some fun with the characters and that’s exactly what they did. It was unanimously more humorous that the 1st that’s something everyone could agree on.

Since I spent a few months in Dubai, the cultural scenes like the ones in the souk tickled me. They represented the culture very well and there wasn’t a lot of false information portrayed—if any. I’m sure with enough money, or in their case: a bottomless one, you could have tents set up in the middle of the desert and changes of extravagant clothing on hand. Otherwise companies that offer Arabian dinners will have belly dancers and sheesha pipes set up in the tents when you return from a Dune Buggy excursion. And all you have to do is pay a small price to experience ‘true’ Arabia—Sans the change of clothing. I’m glad they touched on the life of Carrie’s Butler Guarau. It’s incredibly overlooked that the average worker in the Middle East is not in fact Arabic; they are usually from the Philippines, Japan or India. They work excruciating hours making less than minimum wage, which they send back to their families for support. Luckily, in India, minimum wage is quite luxurious. The families can usually keep a nice house, with a nanny and a decent lifestyle.

This movie despite the difference from the episodes was still relatable-- Mostly to married women with kids—but was tuned for over-all entertainment. The one thing I did find a little disappointing was that it was filmed in Morocco, not Abu Dhabi, or even Dubai. Still it could have fooled me—and it did.