“It’s a bird, It’s a plane…. nope it’s the SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE!

The press has been buzzing about this movie for weeks and the fans have been anticipating it for years. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it should come as no surprise that the Sex and the City movie has almost usurped the 2008 election in terms of coverage and conversation.

I should confess now that I was not a fan of the show during its 6 year television run. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, I just didn’t have access since I don’t subscribe to HBO. I have seen an episode or two on late night tv, but never really fell into the frenzied, obsessed mass of women that look to Carrie as g-d and Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha as disciples.

However, when I friend of mine invited me out for “a night with the girls” to go see Sex and the City, how could I decline? Even as a non-fan, I didn’t want to be left out of countless future conversations, nor did I want to pass up a fun girls night out. So I went figuring that even though I didn’t know the backstory or personalities of any of the characters I would be able to figure it out.

What did I think?

Well, to start out I should say that this movie may be about 4 women but there are 5 lead characters (6 if you count “the city”). Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte are merely the vessels used to show off the countless designer gowns, suits, shoes and outfits that sashayed across the screen at every turn. It was like a feast for the fashion hungry eyes. Yes, I know that designer labels may be overpriced and frivolous, but they are also fun and beautifully gorgeous.

The first hour of the movie moves at a quick, if not predictable pace, and is truly the epitome of a fun romantic comedy. It is lighthearted, funny and filled with many “aww how cute” moments. Carrie and Big decide to marry, we are ensconced in the perfection of their relationship, and the wedding planning begins. There is even a bridal fashion shoot for Vogue thrown in which can only be classified as fashion porn. For the other girls; Miranda is dealing with the fact that her marriage is falling apart, Samantha is struggling with being bi-coastal (now that she is living in LA with Smith Jerrod) and Charlotte is lost in happily married bliss.

But now, thanks to the wedding, they are back to wining and dining as a foursome. It is almost perfect, except that it isn’t. Big gets cold feet, stands Carrie up and thus sends her into a downward spiral. This is the point at which the movie begins to feel long and especially overwrought. We spend the next half of the movie waiting for Carrie to get back on track and figure out her next move.

I have to say, the details of this movie are definitely a plus. Every flower, belt, outfit and glass seemed placed deliberately. It was, if nothing else, a beautiful movie. I only wish the plot and writing had been thought out with the same amount of deliberation. At times the dialogue felt over dramatic and unrealistic, and 2 and a half hours is too long for a plot that is all too predictable.

All this aside, I would probably recommend you see this movie if you are looking for a fun way to spend your night. It is a perfect movie to see with a bunch of your girlfriends as long as no one is expecting anything magnanimous in terms of movie making. The Sex and the City fans I saw it with were swept away in a SATC like bliss, consequently I would surmise that the fans will probably get the ending they had been hoping for. If you are looking for an award winning film you should probably turn elsewhere…

Go see the movie and be part of the nation wide Sex and the City conversation that is sure to be happening around water-coolers everywhere. Just keep in mind though, Sex and the City is a movie, not the second coming of the messiah.