Sex and the City 2

Michael Patrick King: Sex and the City 2 (US 2010) based on the essays by Candace Bushnell and starring Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie Bradshaw), Kim Cattrall (Samantha Jones), Kristin Davis (Charlotte York Goldenblatt) and Cynthia Nixon (Miranda Hobbes) in Abu Dhabi.

Sex and the City - Sinkkuelämää 2 / Sex and the City 2.
    US (c) 2010 Warner Bros. / Home Box Office. P: Michael Patrick King, John P. Melfi, Sarah Jessica Parker, Darren Star.
    D: Michael Patrick King. SC: Michael Patrick King – based on the tv series (1998–2004) created by Darren Star – based on the essay collection (1997) by Candace Bushnell – based on her columns in The New York Observer (1994–1997). DP: John Thomas – shot on 35 mm film. PD: Jeremy Conway. COST: Patricia Field, Jacqueline Oknaian, Jessica Replansky, Molly Rogers, Danny Santiago. ED: Michael Berenbaum.
    CAST: Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie Bradshaw), Kim Cattrall (Samantha Jones), Kristin Davis (Charlotte York Goldenblatt), Cynthia Nixon (Miranda Hobbes), Chris Noth (John James Preston / Mr. Big), John Corbett (Aidan Shaw), David Eigenberg (Steve Brady), Evan Handler (Harry Goldenblatt), Jason Lewis (Jerry "Smith" Jerrod), Lynn Cohen (Magda), Alice Eve (Erin), Raza Jaffrey (Butler Guarau), Liza Minnelli (Herself), Miley Cyrus (Herself), Penélope Cruz (Carmen Garcia Garron).
    146 min.
    Released by Sandrew Metronome Distribution Finland with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Riitta Pesola / Marjut Markkanen.
    Viewed at Tennispalatsi 9, Helsinki, 4 June 2010 (week of global premiere).

The visual quality of the film projection was good, and the difference was obvious after 15 minutes of video quality commercials and trailers.

I was aware that Sex and the City 2 has been receiving some of the worst reviews of the year, but I have ceased to pay attention to such reviews a long time ago, aware of the critics' anti-entertainment bias. Unfortunately there is among the predominantly male critics also a bias against women's feel-good movies . As a man, I enjoy such films immensely because of the positive energy and the laughter experience in the cinema. I recommend them to all men as ideal date movies, and also for the exciting and surprising female reactions.

How does Sex and the City 2 perform? The tv series was reportedly already watered down from the original Candace Bushnell columns, and the motion pictures have apparantly been watered down even more. Sex and the City 2 has been getting disappointing comments from female fans of the series, as well. I cannot compare, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and the reactions of the screening, and the film raises a number of big issues, such as: – what happens to the independent, professional women when they reach middle age and men start to look at younger women – the fate of the consumer society, conspicuous consumption and the leisure classes during the current economic crisis – the clash of the civilizations: the Western hedonism and the Islamic world - the excitement of the singles' life and the boredom of marriage – the heterosexual relationships do not sizzle, and the most vibrant thing in the story is the friendship of the four women.

Probably Sex and the City 2 is not a good film, but I was never bored. Yet, where is the George Cukor of today who could turn this juicy material into a masterpiece?