To cosnume or not to consume? That was never the question.
Well, I’ve seen it. All 146 minutes of it. And there is good, bad and ugly in it.
THE GOOD
Ron White has a bit part as Miranda’s boss. This comedian is a joy doing stand-up. Sadly, he was sitting down for all his lines.
It’s nicely shot.
Miranda’s olive green halter neck dress in the drunk bar scene with Charlotte was the stand-out designer outfit. And I want it for myself.
The opening gay wedding sequence is a hoot. The production is absolutely fabulous and boy, Liza Minnelli may not be able to move her face much any more due to all the surgery but she can move her body like a demon on the dance floor!
Carrie’s hair was beautifully styled every time.
Nanny McNipple. This character was hilarious and gave rise to a few very funny moments in the script.
THE BAD
The desert scene sequence was just stupid.
After each getting their own ride to the hotel and their own butler, they sleep 2 to a bedroom. Very odd.
I’m all for Samantha’s overt, honest and liberated attitude to sex and her lifestyle choices. But she is not a good friend to have and she particularly falls short when the going gets tough – the exact opposite of what you want in a friendship.
Get this. Samantha meets a Middle Eastern man in a bar after a film premiere. Within minutes she accepts his offer to fly her and her girlfriends all expenses paid to Abu Dhabi. So the girls agree to go to a foreign country paid for by a man that 3 of them have never met. I know people who do this. They are happy and proud to be internationally travelling hookers.
Then instead of adopting a ‘when in Rome’ approach to being in a country with different laws to her country of origin, Samantha becomes one of those awful American tourists you’d run a mile to avoid. She selfishly pretends her ignorance is really her just being her glorious self – while at the same time abdicating any responsibility for her actions by conveniently blaming menopause thus turning back feminist progress by once again tying women’s sanity to their bodily functions.
When her behaviour causes the male benefactor to stop paying all expenses for the consumerist foursome, Samantha turns on the girls – ordering everyone to leave and screaming at Charlotte that she could stay if she wanted to pay $22k a night.
Ahem – didn’t Samantha invite her ‘friends’ on the all-expenses paid trip? Shouldn’t she be the one to honour the deal? Samantha showed that when the financial rug gets pulled from under her, it’s every woman for herself – no matter how ‘deep’ she claims the friendship runs.
THE UGLY
Mass consumerism by the 4 women provides a sobering reflection of life on Earth – most of the resources are enjoyed by an elite few. Here are some facts and figures of SATC2:
$18m Sarah Jessica Parker’s pay cheque
$12m this is what Patricia Field spent on the cast’s wardrobe
$610 price of Chanel sunnies SJP wore in desert scenes
$2.4m figure on the Confidentiality Agreements the women signed
$12k cost of that Zac Posen lavender taffeta skirt SJP wore in the market scenes. Yucko.
Selfishness is on garish display. Even under the guise of being sorry, an apology is all about making oneself feel better rather than thinking about the feelings of the other person. SJP must tell her husband Big something right away so she can feel better – without even considering that that kind of revelation is best done face to face when you can show you have the guts to confess something then stand there and take the consequences.
Some of my female friends love the escapism they say SATC gives them. It’s sad to buy into the bullshit that the elite class sells to the poorer classes. Oh well. They live in hope of ending up happily ever after with beauty parlour lips and credit card eyes. (Suckers…)
The first SATC movie made $506m worldwide. SATC2 cost $115m to make. I think we can safely say the sequel will more than pay for itself and give all investors a great return on their investment.
Now onwards and upwards to SATC3. Let me guess – more bogan behaviour and proud of it. There’s nothing so rewarding and enlightening as a bunch of women believing they’re all class when they’re just a bunch of ingrates who need to be constantly reminded of what’s wonderful about their lives.
Oh well. The upside is – only 2 of them decided to breed – so far…