Review: ‘Sex & the City 2’

Warning this contains spoilers.  Don’t read any further if you haven’t seen the film and you don’t want to read about it.

Watching this film, as well as the first, is like watching several episodes of the series in a row.  If you are a fan of the show, you will enjoy the film.  Granted some things are over the top, but I think that’s what the writer/director wanted.  I feel like he wrote it in the eyes of a female and what they could want to make their lives fun and easy.  All expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi?  Check.  Separate chauffeured cars?  Check.  Your very own servant?  Check. You get the picture.  So, if you set aside all expectations and realize, yes maybe some people live like this, but most don’t and just enjoy yourself, you’ll enjoy this film.

It opens with Carrie reminiscing how she came to New York in the 80s and met her three best friends.  Then leads into a very ‘gay wedding,’ as Big called it.  And it was, complete with Liza Minnelli singing ‘Single Ladies.’  Yes, it was awkward, but quite entertaining.  We also learn the premise of the movie, that all couples lead very different relationships, and as I have always said in the past, no one really knows what goes on between two people, so each couple makes their own rules.  Whatever works for them, might not necessarily work for the next person, etc.  But we should never judge.

We learn that none of the ladies are particularly happy two years after the last film ended with them being happy.  Charlotte is realizing that being a married mother of two is hard, even with a full-time nanny that doesn’t wear a bra.  There were some funny moments with that, but don’t worry, Harry doesn’t cheat.  He never would, he’s completely devoted to Charlotte.  Miranda is not happy with her new boss, who literally puts his hand up to ‘ssssh’ her in meetings.  Samantha is, well, Samantha, trying to handle menopause at the age of ’50-fucking-2.’  Convincing herself that she is actually 20 years younger than she actually is.  And Carrie is realizing that married life, can well, be boring.  Specifically when Big buys her a TV for the bedroom and then proceeds to keep his eyes on the screen and not her.  He never wants to go out, always brings home take-out, etc.  Basically settling into married life.

So while Carrie heads to her old apartment to ‘get away and write a column,’ Samantha announces she’s been invited on an all-expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi and she’s bringing the girls.  Since Miranda has quit her job, she’s wide open.  Carrie’s an author, so she has all the time in the world.  And well Charlotte who desperately needs a vacation away from her family.

So they get on their way, but not before Big tells Carrie that he’d like to spend two days apart from each other for their alone time.  He believes it will make them stronger.

The plane is ridiculous with private ‘rooms’ in first class for each of the ladies, as well as a huge bar in the front of the plane.  The hotel is a palace.  Each lady gets her own chauffeured car and yes her own servant at her beck and call.  And yes, they have to dismiss each servant if they want them to go home.  I love when Samantha announces she thinks her servant is gay.  “I asked his name and he said, ‘Abdul, like Paula.’ ” So she calls him Paula throughout the whole movie.  And of course, the room is called the ‘jewel suite’ and has its own private elevator and bar.  It’s ridiculous, but at the same time, I kind of want to go there.  I mean, what girl doesn’t want to get pampered.

There’s the usual antics.  Charlotte is obsessed with calling home.  Samantha is obsessed with having her hormones for menopause confiscated at the airport.  And Miranda just wants to learn the culture and see the country (which is what they all should have been doing).  Carrie is just enjoying herself and thinking about her new ‘arrangement’ with Big and what it means.  But after all, she’s the one that said every couple makes their own rules.  And since both decided they don’t want kids, it’s just them for the rest of their lives, she worries if they fall into a boring routine, where will all the sparkle go?  As she ponders this, she runs into, yep, Aidan in a market square.  And he looks delectable.

After reading a poor review of her latest book, Carrie needs an ego boost.  She whores herself up, ignores Charlotte’s warning and has dinner with Aidan.  They talk about their lives, their marriages, Aidan’s three kids, etc.  Conversation turns to the ‘what if’ and how Carrie is not like other girls.  As they are done with dinner, they kiss.  We all saw it coming.  She was asking for it.  So was he.  They played with fire.  She freaks out and runs away.  Gets the girls.  She doesn’t heed Samantha’s advice and she calls Big to tell him.  She doesn’t want secrets, no matter what.  He’s upset obviously.  However, in the end, everyone lives happily ever after.  I would like to know what happened with Aidan.  I wonder if he told his wife.  After all, as he said, his wife has always ‘kept one eye on Carrie.’  Who wouldn’t?  It was his great love.  It’s just that Aidan wasn’t the great love for Carrie.  Big was.  And always will be.  That’s the point of the show.

Some other funny parts include Samantha and her romp on the beach and Miranda and Charlotte’s drunk conversation about motherhood.  But I won’t spoil the whole movie.

Now, I love Carrie Bradshaw.  I’ve always thought of myself as her.  I’m sure most fans of the show equate themselves to her or another character.  And while I do have my share of drama, I’ve always felt that Carrie brings the drama on herself.  While I try to rid myself of most drama, Carrie brings it.  Encourages it.  I mean, to doll herself up for dinner with Aidan?  I’m surprised she didn’t sleep with him.  And if I were Aidan, I’d take that opportunity.  I mean, Carrie cheated on Aidan with Big.  BUT, Aidan is married too.  He’d never do that. It’d be bittersweet really.  And if that had happened, we’d all hate Carrie.  I knew I did for that season. And the movie would have been another 60 minutes.

I’m giving this movie 3 camels, just because I love the series.

My Rules of Facebook

Facebook, oh, Facebook.  You are so evil and so addicting.  Why do you exist?  Why are we sucked into you?

When Facebook first came out, I swear, every one of my friends, myself included, said, “Oh I don’t like Facebook, I like MySpace so much better.”  Yea, we canceled our MySpace accounts last year.  Facebook has consumed our lives.  Everyone and their mother, literally, live, breathe and are Facebook.  Over the past year or two, since it took over, I’ve come to notice some really annoying things about Facebook.  Here are some rules, in no particular order, that everyone should follow.  Please keep in mind, that I have broken some of these.

– Just because you are ‘single,’ ‘in a relationship,’ ‘divorced’ or whatever on FB, doesn’t necessarily mean you actually are.  And if you aren’t single, but your FB status says it, it really doesn’t matter.  It’s a website!

– Friending just anyone to up your FB friends doesn’t make you cool.

– Liking your own status, picture, link, etc. is stupid.

– Commenting on every one of your significant other’s statuses is stupid.

– Writing Happy Anniversary on your significant other’s Wall, when you live when them, is stupid.

– Status updates that are TMI are stupid.

– Writing on someone’s Wall, ‘I can’t wait to see you tomorrow’ is stupid.

– Saying you had a good time every time you see someone is stupid.

– Making plans on someone’s Wall is stupid – that’s what private messages are for.

– Keeping your FB page open for all to see is just asking for trouble.

– Making your profile picture, you in front of your place work and then making your status something about your job is also asking for trouble.

– Posting anything on there your mother wouldn’t approve of is stupid (especially if they ARE your friend on FB).

– Posting how much you love your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife – all the fucking time is stupid.

– Posting pictures of sonograms as your profile picture is stupid.

– Posting pictures of your children as your profile picture is stupid (sorry guys).

– Farmville, Mafia Wars, poking, ‘My Family’ “apps” are just plain retarded (pardon my inappropriate use of the word). However, Bejeweled is awesome.

– Updating your profile to say you are ‘in a relationship,’ months/years after you actually started dating and not deleting it from your feed is retarded.

– Parents: Don’t use FB as a way to keep in touch with your children.  Don’t constantly ‘like’ or post on their Wall.  It doesn’t make you cool!

– Stalking your ex and/or commenting on your ex’s page all the time is … well….creepy and stalkerish.

– Unfriending someone because you don’t want them to see what you post is immature.

– Making your significant other update their relationship status, regular status, friend someone or unfriend someone is controlling and you should probably get some help and learn how to trust.

– Liking everything everyone posts is stupid.

– Updating your status with engagement, wedding, baby plans – every fucking day is annoying.

– Updating your status with details about how your newborn just took his first poop is disgusting.

– Updating your status just to make someone jealous is ridiculous and stupid.

– Assuming that FB is the be all, end all of what’s going on is someone’s life is naive.

OK folks, this was silly.  But that’s exactly what FB is, silly.  It’s a social networking site that turned into this crazy phenomenon that everyone is jumping on.  When you go on, use common sense.  Don’t be stupid.  If you do something on FB that would annoy you, then it probably annoys every one of your 195 friends.  And again, if you post something that you would never show your mom – then DON”T POST IT.