Friday, September 10, 2010

Love, Sex and Magic !

It says something when one of the loveliest chic flicks of the year is Sex and the City 2. You can take away the amazing costumes, the drop dead gorgeous sets and the absolutely delicious looking men and you would have four exceptional women and one riveting script. The story by itself isn't much, it seemed more like an exceptionally long episode of the series. However the dialogue of the film takes each scene from passably mediocre to an absolute delight. Unforgettable one-liners include Samatha calling Rikard,  "Lawrence of my Labia" and Carrie referring to the law of men cheating on their wives with the nanny, "The Jude Law".

Ideologically, the film is every feminist's wet dream and worse nightmare combined. As each woman successfully navigates and negotiates with centuries of tradition to create their own rules, they also succumb to the constraints of womanhood with their own love of fashion and all things outwardly feminine( wheres the sporty girl in sweats ? and why is the bra-less nanny a lesbian?). While The film is an ode to third wave feminism - it begs the question as to how we see ourselves - as women first or just as human beings. Now one can hardy dismiss gender as irrelevant but Sex and City at once tries to redefine what it means to be a woman and while being caught in the traps of of traditional gender roles.

I would have loved to see Miranda, yell at the boss and file a sexual harassment law suit. Quitting and running just seemed to lack spirit and almost seemed to endorse letting men get away with sexism. I would have preferred Carrie with a little more maturity and little less materialism. Charlotte and her inability to handle her children even with help was a big wtf moment - you have a nanny and your husband bathes the kids !!! Samantha was just perfect !!! She stole the show with her unashamed sense of self and her defiance of everything the world has ever told a woman she must be.

Theres just something about movies like Sex and the City 2. I'm not sure if its how you can enjoy them with all your girl friends, how riveting everything on screen is or just how much you've grown to love these women over the years, whatever it is - it re-affirms my faith is the magic of the movies !

8 comments:

  1. Even though the script was crappy I still loved the movie for it's sheer magnificence.And I totally agree with you Samantha is perfect.She has not aged at all compared to the other ladies.

    ReplyDelete
  2. True that - Samantha is so inspiring ! Personally I didn't think the script too crappy - I think the only real flaw would be that it was almost too glossy a film to be real - I mean some of those dresses may have been better off in a museum !

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope I own that museum.But the shoes,clothes and all the glossiness worked for me.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i was lamenting after this watch for a long while asking whey it was even made. couldn't put my finger on why though. not saying i can now. but hear when u say "magic of these movies"... and loved samantha in it as u said :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Not to sound redundant but loved Samantha as well. Infact i've always her to be the most honest and "ballsy" of the 4.And the movie was just cliched and dragged on.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. For me watching this film was like eating cold apple pie. You know you love it and it's supposed to be awesome, but somehow it just doesn't taste right.
    I always identified most with Miranda and Charlotte throughout the series, cause I feel like I'm a mix of the two. But it was such a disappointment to watch them in this flick.
    Damn I mean it took me a while to get over Miranda taking her hubby back in the first film, but her she just runs off from her job? Where's the Miranda we know and why are we getting such a watered down, vapid version of her?
    Charlotte was like Miss Perfect, she wanted a family for so long and we knew she'd be great at it. I didn't get her crying in the pantry at all, it totally felt out of character.
    I love Samantha, even though I identify the least with her lifestyle, I identify most with her spirit. That said, I need to mention that there is a line between asserting your right and being downright offensive. When you're immersed in a different culture, it's important to be mindful of peoples values there.
    Part of being a feminist for me is shedding all ethnocentrism and bias. I feel Samantha didn't do that. She purposely pushed boundaries, and while I realize that's Samantha, I don't think it's "feminist." I'd be equally offended if she behaved in that manner in India.
    Carrie, I didn't care for and quite honestly she needs to grow up. First it's oh "I want Big." Now she has him, but she's bored. Again it's her life and her priorities, I'm not going to judge. But watching it? Not entertaining at all.

    ReplyDelete