I've never written a film review before, but after watching the hyped SATC2 I felt completely compelled. If you are a fan of the fab four and have followed them throughout the six series, you may be feeling mixed emotions. If you haven't followed the series but watched the recent cinematic event, you'll probably be wondering what the fuss is about.
The writers (no, not Carrie), do well to address realistic issues. Samantha for example works her way through wonder drugs and pills in order to control her menopause. Miranda and Charlotte have a touching and emotional heart-to-heart about the difficulties of being a mother, not to mention Charlotte's paranoia of having a 'bouncy' and beautiful nanny at home alone with the hubby.
Whilst there are titbits of sisterhood and friendship, the glue that binds it together has become materialistic, unrealistic and down right disrespectful.
There are many occassions that display a lack of respect for Abu Dhabi's Islamic culture. Samantha insists on wearing revealling clothing, getting physcial on a public beach (despite knowing the laws), and waves condoms and two fingers towards muslim men who are sexually very conservative. There are even muslim women who lure the 4 ladies into a hidden room. Here, they take off their religious clothing and show us 2010's S/S catwalk collection. Not a film based on facts then.
Miranda saves the girls a bit of dignity by learning some of the native language, and telling the girl's (or us) occassionally about the land's history and culture.
Stephen Farber, the Hollywood Reporter's reviewer stated: "The rather scathing portrayal of Muslim society no doubt will stir controversy, especially in a frothy summer entertainment, but there's something bracing about the film's saucy political incorrectness. Or is it politically correct?" That's up to you. If you want to read more on this topic check out an article by a Daily Mail journo - a paper I'm unlikely to recommend again; Sex And The City 2 Reviews: Critic Calls Film 'Anti-Muslim'
Carrie mocks a woman wearing a niqab (the back viel covering a woman's facial features). They laugh as she lifts it every time she eats a chip, and exclaims how lucky she is for not having to run her botox bill high. Is this realism, or purely offensive?
Amongst the gay weddings and shopping trips, I also come to realise that in fact, Carrie is a TERRIBLE role model for women. Yes, she inspires us to write about love and what we believe in. However she treats Big (who she now calls John, as she seems to be all grown up) like an incompetant child.
The two spare a romantic evening watching a black and white movie in a hotel. In order to share more of those times, Big purchases a TV for thier bedroom as an anniversary present. She is instantly unthankful and pulls a strop. The following night, Carrie insists that he join her for Smith's premiere, after he has spent a very stressful day at work. She guilt trips him into coming, and drags him home again once she spies him chatting with a woman. At home, he then turns on the TV, which is apparently all too much for Carrie.
Another strop is born, and she spends the next two days at her old apartment.
To top off her behaviour, she then cheats on Big with Aiden on holiday in Abu Dhabi - they bumped into each other there, surely fate must be telling them to cheat?! This is what she appears to argue.
Carrie runs back to her hotel like a headless chicken, and after insulting Charlotte's marraige and cancelling dinenr with the girl's to see Aiden, she insists they must come to her beck and call and listen to her warblings and worries for hours. She ignores thier advice (why bother?) and tells Big about the kiss. Big is obviously left distraught.
But you guessed it. It's SATC. There is of course a happy ending to leave all the women out there with a feeling of hope. He gives her a huge wedding ring (a ring she previously refused to wear, despite giving each other thier vows almost three years prior). And of course, they are the happy couple once again.
All kinds of women everywhere, myself included, do or have looked up to Carrie at some point. We've watched an episode and related with a difficult situation. We've sat on tenterhooks wondering how she's going to cope with it; we need the reassurance that our relationships will be just fine too.
But if this is how we are meant to treat men and show respect for our realtionships, I would rather put my faith in Katie Price.
A movie that delivers some sweet SATC satisfaction if you're a fan. But expect to leave with a slightly sour taste in your mouth, and the wish never the do kareoke with your girls again...
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