Sex And The City - the Movie

The filmmakers of the Sex and the City, the Movie could have put the four luminous female stars in a room for two hours without them speaking, and the droves of fans would have been literally foaming at the mouth. The demand and interest in having this group re-united was really that strong.

So, it isn't surprising that the film, a complete mixture of highs and lows, was such a box office hit. The truth, however, is that as incredibly amazing it is to see these vibrant ladies back on the screen, the end result should have been better.

Since things last left off, eternal single girl Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) has been living happily with dream man Mr. Big (a.k.a. John James Preston). However, as four years have passed, the time comes for the relationship to mature, and so the two decide to bring the relationship to the next level by getting married. Meanwhile, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) struggles in here marriage with all around nice guy Steve, finding a noticeable dis-interest in sex with her husband in recent months. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is soaking it up in Los Angeles with movie star boyfriend Smith Jerrod, only to find she's often left alone with his very busy schedule. Finally, Charlotte (Kristin Davis), the epitome of perfection, glides along smoothly with a faithful husband and beautiful adopted daughter. However, sometimes true to real life, troubled times lie ahead for all of them.

The DVD version of the movie is advertised as an extended cut, which translates to six added minutes to the film. So what's the difference? Well, there aren't any life-altering changes here, sadly. To the film's benefit, the six minutes do add some depth to characters in the film that were a bit lacking. We are given a bit more exposition on Charlotte and Samantha, who seem to get a bit side swiped in the original cut. The film still clocks in at over two and half hours, which is still too long and yet too short in some ways.

Director Michael Patrick King, who created the series, creates some heartbreaking moments with Miranda's story angle, arguably the strongest, and Samantha provides the continuous pop needed to keep the film from turning to sludge at some points. Still, the flaw is with Carrie's melodramatic story and the questionable outcome. It really doesn't make much sense and the fairy tale aspect is something the series pioneered against during its successful run. In the end, the series finale still remains the more cohesive choice as far as bringing closure on these women's lives, rather than a film that basically regurgitates the final season in a less truthful way.

Shockingly, the other special features on the disc aren't that great either. There is an extended candid sit down conversation with Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael Patrick King, in which each offer commentary on different aspects and plot points in the movie. This is somewhat interesting, with Parker talking about doing entire scenes without any makeup, and King discussing his thoughts on whether the film would be well received or not when it was finally released.

This is followed up with "Fabulous Fashion of Sex and the City", which is the most interesting piece. Here, Patricia Field, costume designer for the series and film, talks about inspirations for outfit choices, and how each character's emotional maturation has been mirrored style wise. She also discusses the different costume changes, well over 300 for each cast member! From this segment alone, it is clear of how daunting the costume management was, and it is fascinating to watch Field channel it all into a well-oiled machine.

There are also about five deleted scenes, which sadly are very brief and don't add up to much. Included is a dinner conversation between Carrie and Big about having their wedding at a library, as well as some extended footage in the Mexican resort portion of the film. The extra features are rounded off with a film commentary from Writer/Director Michael Patrick King, which at times can prove to be insightful.

"Sex and the City, the Movie" was a bit of a disappointment for me. I, for one, loved the series and the incredibly written characters. There was just something about the transition to theatrical that didn't work for me though. Still, no one can deny how great it was to see all of them together again, and I'm sure fans will be waiting with baited breath for a sequel.The filmmakers of the Sex and the City - the Movie could have put the four luminous female stars in a room for two hours without them speaking, and the droves of fans would have been literally foaming at the mouth. The demand and interest in having this group re-united was really that strong.

So, it isn't surprising that the film, a complete mixture of highs and lows, was such a box office hit. The truth, however, is that as incredibly amazing it is to see these vibrant ladies back on the screen, the end result should have been better.

Since things last left off, eternal single girl Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) has been living happily with dream man Mr. Big (a.k.a. John James Preston). However, as four years have passed, the time comes for the relationship to mature, and so the two decide to bring the relationship to the next level by getting married. Meanwhile, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) struggles in here marriage with all around nice guy Steve, finding a noticeable dis-interest in sex with her husband in recent months. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is soaking it up in Los Angeles with movie star boyfriend Smith Jerrod, only to find she's often left alone with his very busy schedule. Finally, Charlotte (Kristin Davis), the epitome of perfection, glides along smoothly with a faithful husband and beautiful adopted daughter. However, sometimes true to real life, troubled times lie ahead for all of them.

The DVD version of the movie is advertised as an extended cut, which translates to six added minutes to the film. So what's the difference? Well, there aren't any life-altering changes here, sadly. To the film's benefit, the six minutes do add some depth to characters in the film that were a bit lacking. We are given a bit more exposition on Charlotte and Samantha, who seem to get a bit side swiped in the original cut. The film still clocks in at over two and half hours, which is still too long and yet too short in some ways.

Director Michael Patrick King, who created the series, creates some heartbreaking moments with Miranda's story angle, arguably the strongest, and Samantha provides the continuous pop needed to keep the film from turning to sludge at some points. Still, the flaw is with Carrie's melodramatic story and the questionable outcome. It really doesn't make much sense and the fairy tale aspect is something the series pioneered against during its successful run. In the end, the series finale still remains the more cohesive choice as far as bringing closure on these women's lives, rather than a film that basically regurgitates the final season in a less truthful way.

Shockingly, the other special features on the disc aren't that great either. There is an extended candid sit down conversation with Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael Patrick King, in which each offer commentary on different aspects and plot points in the movie. This is somewhat interesting, with Parker talking about doing entire scenes without any makeup, and King discussing his thoughts on whether the film would be well received or not when it was finally released.

This is followed up with "Fabulous Fashion of Sex and the City", which is the most interesting piece. Here, Patricia Field, costume designer for the series and film, talks about inspirations for outfit choices, and how each character's emotional maturation has been mirrored style wise. She also discusses the different costume changes, well over 300 for each cast member! From this segment alone, it is clear of how daunting the costume management was, and it is fascinating to watch Field channel it all into a well-oiled machine.

There are also about five deleted scenes, which sadly are very brief and don't add up to much. Included is a dinner conversation between Carrie and Big about having their wedding at a library, as well as some extended footage in the Mexican resort portion of the film. The extra features are rounded off with a film commentary from Writer/Director Michael Patrick King, which at times can prove to be insightful.

"Sex and the City - the Movie" was a bit of a disappointment for me. I, for one, loved the series and the incredibly written characters. There was just something about the transition to theatrical that didn't work for me though. Still, no one can deny how great it was to see all of them together again, and I'm sure fans will be waiting with baited breath for a sequel.