Thread: *** & The City

I loved the show, I even bought the lovely pink and black box with all the seasons. I went to see the film a last week... errmmmm, no, I don't think I'll be buying it. I'll try to say what I think without spoiling it for those who haven't seen it yet.

It was worth seeing it because of the clothes I don't see anything wrong with that!!! I loved the fact that Carrie didn't wear the same clothes for more than 3 minutes. And she wears once her old fur coat, which she wore several seasons. Visually it was completely recognizable, but the plot, the structure... it wasn't good old S&TC but different and better, as I expected it to be. It just felt rather senseless some times. At the beginning of the film something happens and that is the turning point, the basis for the plot, for everything that happens afterwards... only that "that thing" is completely... silly. To put it mildly.

A couple of funny scenes reminded you of the series: Samantha and some of her great one-liners (which by now every one has seen in the ad "Well, you know me, I just don't believe in marriage... etc); the classic sentence "I couldn't help but wonder"... and some familiar faces, just to ensure we were reminded it actually was S&TC. Very much needed reminders!

Familiar faces: Stanford's there, Anthony's there, Magda's there, Enid's there... you see them but they hardly say more than a couple of sentences, sometimes something like "I'll hold this for you". Nothing really happens with them. I especially missed Stanford's witty and bitter remarks. And what happened to his gorgeous boyfriend?? I didn't like that. There's a new character, Carrie's PA. It was probably what I liked best, a young girl, crazy for clothes, trying to get a fresh start in NY after a sad break-up. Her conversations with Carrie were the kind of conversations she used to have with her girls.

There was very little s**, meaning what the tv show was about. The "men as objects thing" (which is not at all how I'd describe the tv-show, and no man-hating either!) is just not there. No meeting new guys, no sharing gossip or concerns about a new relationship. Ok, they're older, married, kids, but they're not married all the time and I was surprised to see how not having a relationship suddenly implied staying home alone eating on the sofa watching tv. There's nothing "fabulous" about it!

Another difference, there was no question to be answered during the film even if a couple of characters had to face the same issue. Otherwise they all had very different lives. Their bond is as strong as ever only it's hard to stay that close when your lives are so different lives and you have so little in common to talk about.

Another thing I didn't like: I didn't laugh that much. There was a scene where Stanford kisses someone. I laughed just because I had seen the tv show and knew what that really meant. Some people in the cinema turned around and looked at me as if I was mad. Apparently they didn't get it. Part of the fun in S&TC was all those "private jokes" we die-hard fans got immediately. They're gone in the film, understandable if you're addresing a wider audience, of course, but they could have found a way to sort that out. I liked the final message though. This is a new phase of our lives.

In short: It could have been a film about four completely different NY women who happened to be played by the same actresses. So hard it was to recognise the show I loved. I've read there's going to be a sequel, I hope they do better with the script. The stylists deserve an Oscar.

I hated El Orfanato, silliest film I've ever seen, btw.