I loved watching the first movie with my football/lacrosse moms from the snowglobe ... and cried, giggled and busted out laughing at all of the right moments. It was -- although cliche -- a great movie in my eyes.
I eagerly anticipated the release of SATC2, although I was a bit sad that (1) I wouldn't be able to see it with the girls from Ohio and (2) I wouldn't get to see it with my girls from Delhi (as nearly everyone that I hang with has left the city).
Never fear, Mrs. JM came to the rescue and we agreed on a time and place to watch the movie. The kids were contentedly playing at home (her two and my three) with their other favorite women and off we went.
I may "spoil" the movie ... so if you plan to see it, don't read any further.
The movie opened, the theme song played and ... while I enjoyed it well enough (most any movie is a nice escape from reality), I was a bit disappointed.
Sure, all of the characters were there ... in their truest of forms. Everyone has grown up a bit, marriages have celebrated more anniversaries, children have started school, etc. Carrie still wears clothes that make me squinch up my nose wondering if people REALLY go out looking like that, Miranda still can't walk in heels and is a slave to her job, Samantha still thinks about her beauty and the bedroom more than anything else and Charlotte is still very much pre-occupied with raising her family.
The movie turned for me when the troupe boarded a private plane to Abu Dhabi. While there are some cultural differences to be had, there were still similarities between here and there - enough through this American's eyes - to make me squirm a bit in my seat.
The blatant disrespect of cultural and religious rules and expectations was very in my face. Kissing in public brings jail time ... yet it was at the center of the most dramatic moment of the entire movie. Samantha gets arrested for inappropriate behavior on the beach (just ONE of the many tasteless scenes revolving around sex and the absence of clothes).
And the clothing choices ... regardless of whether or not it's NYC fashion ... was just appalling at times.
What was sweet was Miranda and her efforts to learn the language (although isn't 'Han Ji' Hindi for "Yes" and not Arabic?), choose to see the markets and sights of the town over spending the entire time at the hotel, and Carrie leaving money for her butler (who shared with her that he only sees his wife every three months, when he has money for a plane ticket).
The highlight of the movie for me? When the two mothers of the group had themselves a cosmopolitan and let themselves be real with each other ... admitting to themselves that being a mother is damn hard. Though it kind of ruined the touching 'sister-hood' type moment for them to both say to each other that they have NO idea how women with NO nannies and cooks do it (with a clink of their glasses to follow).
I wonder what I would have thought about SATC2 had I watched it pre-Delhi?
Before I concerned myself with covering my shoulders and not going out in tank tops. Before I had any idea about husbands not seeing their families for months on end due to having better work in a major city. Before I started to understand what it's like to be a resident in a city vs. merely a tourist. Before I had hired help to help me with my responsibilities. Before I could see the drastic difference between the HAVES and the HAVE NOTS.
I will still eventually get the boxed DVD set at some point in the future ... and make myself a cosmopolitan, curl up on the couch and watch the episodes from start to finish. But I won't be purchasing the movie or singing its praises ...
Did you see it? What did you think? Am I over sensitive? Why did it seem to me that it was a whole lot of Ugly American-ism and very little of what I love about Sex and the City?
