New Movie Releases: Sex and the City, The Strangers and More
Men, do not let your girlfriends drag you to Sex and the City. While, typically, there is some knowledge of the “fairer sex” to be gained from the usual chick flick fare, there is nothing for you here. Go play some football or see Iron Man for the third time because this movie will feel like torture for you. For women (and their gay best friends), the film will still feel rather tortuous. At two-and-a-half hours, it’s pretty hard to not get antsy for Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) to get to the point already.
Plenty of reviews have gone around proclaiming that fans of the show will completely adore the film, and that’s utter hogwash. Perhaps cynicism has taken over the past four years the show has been absent, but as fans who desperately loved the snappy wit, smart humor, and heart of the six seasons of the HBO show (not the TBS version, mind you), the film kicked us in the face. Sitting in the screening with hundreds of rowdy ladies who squealed, laughed, and clapped their way through the whole film made us think we might be in the minority of the fans who feel led astray, or we're among of the smartest women alive.
During the opening credits, Carrie quickly fills us in on the past four years. She’s now 40, written three more books, and is devastatingly in love with Mr. Big (Chris Noth). They are about to move into a 5th Avenue penthouse she describes as “real estate porn.” Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is still married to Steve, working hard as a lawyer and mother, and living in Brooklyn. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Harry are happy with their young adopted daughter, and Samantha (Kim Catrall) has forsaken New York to manage her boyfriend’s acting career in Malibu. Everything is hunky dory until Big and Carrie decide to wed, and then all hell breaks loose.
In what Sex and the City was able to capture in six seasons, the film shatters in its swollen running time. Carrie is deemed the last “single gal in New York City” who’s now finally getting her “happy ending,” and Samantha, the randy and independent lady, has given up her job and life to manage her boyfriend’s career? What the hell ever happened to sexy and self-sufficient women doing it for themselves? The series made us believe we weren’t broken or incomplete if we didn’t have a man, but this film teaches us the complete opposite.
All the anger and disappointment aside, the film does have its moments of greatness. Every time the four women share the screen together, it’s pretty impossible not to love them. If nothing else can be said, the film is a testament to the strong bond of female friendship, and these women share some great laughs. Both Nixon and Parker are phenomenal craftswomen at their characters and are a treat to see on screen again. Davis has nothing to do much like all the men in the film who are subjected to handbag status, including our favorite gays, Anthony and Stanford. The addition of Carrie’s assistant (Jennifer Hudson) is a blatant ploy to gain a less homogenized audience, and her character is annoyingly starry-eyed and saintly.
Women in their thirties and forties will probably love the film. It seems geared to an audience who share similar lives to the four gals, who have husbands, kids, and all the hassles that go with them. The film is also more sanitized than the show, perhaps to capitalize on the women who caught it on TBS (ahem, Miley Cyrus), and it doesn’t work as well if the women aren't completely frank and raunchy, just the way we like ‘em. --Darcie Duttweiler
[Trailer] [Showtimes]
The Strangers
Normally, we'd totally pass on a thriller starring the guy from Felicity. Especially one that claims to be "inspired by actual events". And especially one that looks suspiciously similar to a fantastic recent French flick. But then we saw this kickass retro poster!
Our interest was further piqued when we found out that Director Bryan Bertino is a Texan and a UT grad. So we did some poking around, and according to a few reliable reports, The Strangers is actually decent. So we're probably gonna go see it this weekend. At worst, we'll still walk away with a belly full of Junior Mints.
The Chronicle has an interview with Bertino, if you're interested. --Matt Smith
[Trailer] [Showtimes]
Bra Boys
A huge hit down under, Bra Boys is a documentary look a notoriously rowdy Sydney surf posse, shot and directed by one of the group's most well-known members. Narrated by Russell Crowe, the doc takes a close look at the history of the group--particularly the plight of the Abberton brothers, who faced charges stemming from the murder of a strongarm debt collector. --Matt Smith
[Trailer] [Showtimes]
The Fall
We've got to admit, we're not very excited to see a film by a guy who has recently insisted on being referred to as "Tarsem". We mean, you'd better be good to back that kinda shit up. Purple Rain-era Prince good. And if Tarsem's only other film (The Cell) is any indication, he's more like Batman soundtrack good.
Still, The Fall looks like it might be okay, even if in a gimmicky, overwrought kinda way. The reviews are thoroughly mixed--but we just love that guy from "Pushing Daisies", so we might go see it anyway.
[Trailer] [Showtimes]
