Review of Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host'
Sunday 30 May 2010
Sex and the City 2
Sex and the City 2
At cinemas from Friday 28th May
Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda are as fabulous as ever but somehow the emotional heart of the original tv series is missing in this sequel. Both New York and the Sex and the City logo may glitter in the title sequence but unfortunately the sparkle and shine quickly fade.
The opening scene with an 80’s flashback then Big doing up Carrie’s (trouser) zip is all promising. However we are soon whisked to the gayest of gay weddings which even Anthony, wedding planner and one of the grooms, denies all responsibility for and describes as ‘it’s like the snow queen’s exploded!” I don’t believe that Liza Minnelli singing and dancing to Beyonce’s “All the Single Ladies” was mean to be hilarious but sadly this was the only time I laughed. Throughout the whole film there’s a feeling of sadness. Samantha is knocking back the vitamins and hormones in an attempt to hold back the menopause. Charlotte is facing the realities of motherhood and does not trust her devoted husband with an oirish, bra-less nanny. Miranda, the once bolshie and tough lawyer, cannot get her misogynist boss to listen to her so quits work. Meanwhile Carrie is throwing a strop because Big wants to relax on the couch and watch tv some evenings rather than dress up and go out on the town. He suggests they spend two days a week apart and Carrie attempts to justify it as making up their own rules of marriage.
Cue a trip to an exotic location where they can all bring out the Vuitton luggage and work out their individual issues. Samantha immediately has her pills and creams confiscated despite her protests that they are natural drugs. Charlotte frets and constantly tries to call home. Miranda tries to find her sense of ‘fun’ by arranging camel rides in the desert and karaoke in the hotel’s nightclub. In the souk Carrie bumps into Adian and a bad review of her latest book prompts her to seek a confidence boost by unadvisedly meeting him for dinner. Flirting turns into a kiss which turns into an emotional crisis and results in a difficult call to Big.
A Danish hunk revives Samantha’s libido in a way the hummous and yams have been unable to achieve and she gets arrested for having sex on the beach. “It was only kissing!” she explains as Miranda smartly steps in as her attorney. Although Samantha is released their luxury freebies stop and they must leave Abu Dhabi. At a time of economic downturn and debt it is ironic to see the women unable to cover their own hotel bill (ok it is $22,000 a night but this is VIP Abu Dhabi) but still cannot pack all their designer clothes in one hour.
There is a sense of farce as they race to retrieve Carrie’s passport from the souk and catch the plane home. There’s a repeat of the designer bag snatch from SATC1 as Samantha’s beloved Burkin is grabbed and bursts showering condoms in the street. “Yes! Condoms! For having sex!” she screams to the outraged crowd. The women manage to reach the plane in time through the donation of full muslim dress from some secret Arabic fashionistas who wear Alexander McQueen under the hijab.
As in all fairytales there’s a happy ending. Miranda finds a job at a new law firm where they listen to her. Charlotte’s nanny turns out to be a “hot” lesbian and no threat to her marriage. Samantha meets up with her Danish hunk in the Hamptons and finally does fuck him on the bonnet of his SUV. And Carrie and Big? As her “punishment” for kissing Adian Carrie receives an enormous black diamond ring and gets to watch tv on the couch in designer frocks. Wouldn’t we all love a man in our life like that?
At cinemas from Friday 28th May
Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda are as fabulous as ever but somehow the emotional heart of the original tv series is missing in this sequel. Both New York and the Sex and the City logo may glitter in the title sequence but unfortunately the sparkle and shine quickly fade.
The opening scene with an 80’s flashback then Big doing up Carrie’s (trouser) zip is all promising. However we are soon whisked to the gayest of gay weddings which even Anthony, wedding planner and one of the grooms, denies all responsibility for and describes as ‘it’s like the snow queen’s exploded!” I don’t believe that Liza Minnelli singing and dancing to Beyonce’s “All the Single Ladies” was mean to be hilarious but sadly this was the only time I laughed. Throughout the whole film there’s a feeling of sadness. Samantha is knocking back the vitamins and hormones in an attempt to hold back the menopause. Charlotte is facing the realities of motherhood and does not trust her devoted husband with an oirish, bra-less nanny. Miranda, the once bolshie and tough lawyer, cannot get her misogynist boss to listen to her so quits work. Meanwhile Carrie is throwing a strop because Big wants to relax on the couch and watch tv some evenings rather than dress up and go out on the town. He suggests they spend two days a week apart and Carrie attempts to justify it as making up their own rules of marriage.
Cue a trip to an exotic location where they can all bring out the Vuitton luggage and work out their individual issues. Samantha immediately has her pills and creams confiscated despite her protests that they are natural drugs. Charlotte frets and constantly tries to call home. Miranda tries to find her sense of ‘fun’ by arranging camel rides in the desert and karaoke in the hotel’s nightclub. In the souk Carrie bumps into Adian and a bad review of her latest book prompts her to seek a confidence boost by unadvisedly meeting him for dinner. Flirting turns into a kiss which turns into an emotional crisis and results in a difficult call to Big.
A Danish hunk revives Samantha’s libido in a way the hummous and yams have been unable to achieve and she gets arrested for having sex on the beach. “It was only kissing!” she explains as Miranda smartly steps in as her attorney. Although Samantha is released their luxury freebies stop and they must leave Abu Dhabi. At a time of economic downturn and debt it is ironic to see the women unable to cover their own hotel bill (ok it is $22,000 a night but this is VIP Abu Dhabi) but still cannot pack all their designer clothes in one hour.
There is a sense of farce as they race to retrieve Carrie’s passport from the souk and catch the plane home. There’s a repeat of the designer bag snatch from SATC1 as Samantha’s beloved Burkin is grabbed and bursts showering condoms in the street. “Yes! Condoms! For having sex!” she screams to the outraged crowd. The women manage to reach the plane in time through the donation of full muslim dress from some secret Arabic fashionistas who wear Alexander McQueen under the hijab.
As in all fairytales there’s a happy ending. Miranda finds a job at a new law firm where they listen to her. Charlotte’s nanny turns out to be a “hot” lesbian and no threat to her marriage. Samantha meets up with her Danish hunk in the Hamptons and finally does fuck him on the bonnet of his SUV. And Carrie and Big? As her “punishment” for kissing Adian Carrie receives an enormous black diamond ring and gets to watch tv on the couch in designer frocks. Wouldn’t we all love a man in our life like that?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)