'Sex and the City' Movie Not Entirely Guy-Proof

Hit HBO TV Series Comfortably Translates to Screen

Aug 7, 2008

The bloated film version of 'Sex and the City' will mostly appeal to women, but this male critic admittedly liked it.

Being only a casual viewer of the TV series that aired on HBO (and then edited for cable on TBS), 'Sex and the City: The Movie' was not high on the list of summer releases. Eating those low expectations, it's a pleasant surprise.

For the unitiated moviegoer, this big wauper of a film catches back up four years later after the season finale with the materialistic but likable Fab Four. They're sex-talking, Cosmo-drinking, Manolo-wearing Manhattanities. Sarah Jessica Parker leads her pack as quippy columnist-cum-Vogue writer Carrie Bradshaw; she's hit 40 and is ready to take her longtime relationship with "Mr. Big" (Chris Noth) to the next level. Then there's Samantha (Kim Cattrall), a sexually uninhibited cougar who's now living in L.A. managing her beefy celebrity lover, but visits New York for girlfriend time. The prim and perky Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is stable and happily married, along with her adopted Korean daughter; and the cynical lawyer Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is frazzled over work, childcare, and her sexless marriage.

Fans should also be able to spot peripheral supporting characters from the TV show, including Candace Bergin as Carrie's editor. American Idol winner/Dreamgirls talent Jennifer Hudson newly joins the cast of TV stalwarts. She's very likable and naturally earnest as Carrie's sassy assistant, Louise, from St. Louis.

Is The Movie Strictly For Fans?

In the hands of veteran series writer-director Michael Patrick King, 'Sex and the City: The Movie' is more than an exclusive love letter for fans; it's a smart, funny, and sexually frank film about women and their relationships. (Although a cynic at heart, the cynic-coined term 'chick flick' is resentful as a critic.) For series fans and ordinary moviegoers, there is still enough fizz and snap in the zinger dialogue, as well as touching emotional arcs that ring true, especially Nixon's Miranda.

Fab Four Goes Out In Style

Allotment of screen time for each of the four isn't quite equal (Parker's Carrie mostly takes center stage), but they all shine. The quartet of perfectly cast women effortlessly and comfortably get back into character, looking beautifully glossy and having inarguable chemistry again on the big screen.

While it does get a little soapy and is more often about style than substance, the movie episodically deals with love, heartbreak, pregnancy, personal growth, and shares wisdom about undying friendships. It sure covers a lot of ground in--no, not a short period of time--a running time of 2 hours and 28 minutes (!). What other way to end the review than to reveal the film's main nitpick: that marathon-long running time.

Although padding a superficial runaway fashion show and hip wardrobe change montages into two-plus hours, 'Sex and the City: The Movie' is not only one of the more successful TV-to-movie translations, but it's worth a look even by a dude.

The copyright of the article 'Sex and the City' Movie Not Entirely Guy-Proof in Romantic Comedy Films is owned by Jeremy Kibler. Permission to republish 'Sex and the City' Movie Not Entirely Guy-Proof in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.