2 posts tagged “review”
The movie, the phenomenon. I got acquainted with the women of Sex and the City, first as a guilty pleasure. I found them late at night on network tv, carefully edited. It wasn’t until later when I rented the HBO seasons to catch episodes I had missed that I realized HOW MUCH it had been edited. Imagine my surprise when I figured that out! LOL!
At the time when I met these girls I was living in an isolated place with my friends far far away and I connected with the fictional Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. I found aspects of myself in each woman, Carrie’s independence and thoughtfulness about life. I identified with Samantha’s quest to satiate some strong internal drive. I found aspects of my own journey in Miranda’s battle to be smart and strong and yet allow some vulnerability and softness to show through. And I was living Charlotte’s idealistic hope in the face of constant disappointment.
My sexual history is very unlike theirs, my husband is/was my only lover and I am his. That is a choice we made that came from our faith. And the show’s strong sexual component held a kind of fascination for me. I could no more have dinner with a stranger and then land in bed with him than I could cut off my own arm. But I watched with fascination as the show wrote the characters into a variety of sexual encounters, from the one night stands (or Samantha’s one-bathroom-visit stand) to longer term efforts at learning to love (Charlotte’s efforts to love Trey or Samantha and the Smith Jared character who walked with her through cancer.) And though these women were sexually available, they developed a kind of spiritual and emotional unavailability. Their bodies were available, their hearts and spirits were locked up tight. Serial breakups led to a kind of hopelessness that robbed them of vitality and squirreled away their vulnerability for safe keeping. I found it a very interesting study of modern sexuality. And watching it as I did from the confines of a faithful marriage with an active and satisfying sexuality, I could never trade my world for theirs. It makes for fascinating fiction, but not for real life, no ma’am! But that’s my opinion, my experience. Marriage isn’t like that for everyone. I am indeed very blessed. Perhaps unfairly so.
I heard a man say recently that he’s seen couples who have been married for fifty years and he admires what they have, but it’s not love. He said that romance was love. I was immediately struck with the full weight of that comment. I believe we are judged in the end by how well we’ve learned to love. And sex and romance are aspects of love. But in my opinion, emotional and spiritual intimacy and the building of trust and depth only come with time and the willingness to put one’s self completely at risk. Without that, sex or no sex, romance or no romance, it’s a heart breaking shadow of the real thing. That being said, Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte had learned to love each other. And Mr Big may have said it best when he told Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte (speaking of Carrie) “You all are her first love, any man can only hope to come in a distant second.” That’s the beauty of Sex and the City and the part I found irresistible. These women knew how to love each other.
I watched the characters and their fascination with fashion. I found myself more interested in pretty shoes and my own closet expanded. I didn’t/don’t have the money for expensive shoes. And if I did have that sort of money at my disposal, I’d be sowing it into my big dreams. Not my closet. But I suppose that if I didn’t have a sense of direction or purpose for my life, I’d have a nice closet with some expensive clothing, and an extensive collection of music and movies to keep myself entertained. Or distracted. I’m not dogging nice clothing. It’s really great to look nice and present well. But as far as life passions go… that one is incredibly temporary. Very fleeting. It just wouldn’t work for me.
It’s been a while. I live in a new place. I’m no longer isolated and far from home. I haven’t seen an episode of Sex and the City for a long time. I’d watch it if it was the only thing on and I couldn’t sleep. But I wouldn’t get back involved in the series again. And then I heard that there would be a movie. I wanted to see it. And when I found out that the girls at work wanted to see it… I said “let’s go!”
The first phrase of the opening score of the music is the original soundtrack but then it CHAIN-GES! The first part of the movie is a fast forward recap of the HBO show. And then they get on with it. Sex and the City “made” Manolo Blahnik, a high end designer shoe maker. And this movie is packed – and I do mean PACKED – full of product placement. I guess everyone wanted to be the next miracle shoe success story owing it all to Sex and the City. Like pin the tail on the donkey, this move was sporting marketing “tails” all over the place. The marketing was completely overbearing and got in the way of the story. Everything from fashion brands to pudding cups to the Sex and the City “brand” including the Carrie Bradshaw website. And then there is a burst of fiendish delight over a Louis Vuitton hand bag (an overbearing little vulgarity) given to the darling assistant from St Louis. Oh come ON! And maybe I’m a broken record, but I come back to the same place. If one has real sense of vision and purpose, one will invest in those things. And if there is money left over and one is inclined to do so – buy the bag if it pleases you. (Chose a pretty one at least.) But please! A bag does not say ANYTHING about the arm that it’s on. A bag is a bag and has NO POWER to give WORTH or VALUE to a woman who does not already consider herself worthy and valuable! Just me and my little soap box! I carry a cute little Lis Claiborn number that I got for $10 and I love it. What can I say? I like it. But it does not define me.
And the movie had the sex. Yeah, and full tilt nudity. Yes, every one of the four ladies was pictured showing way too much. I don’t know what that’s about. I guess the writers felt the movie must live up to the name, but really people! I found it considerably over the top. Plenty of attention was given to Samantha’s neighbor’s fine behind. If ever there was a fine example of God’s handiwork, that was it! Still too much!
(SPOILER ALLERT)
And Charlotte. I took a facebook quiz to find out “which Sex and the City character are you?” I am Charlotte. Or so the quiz said. And the movie flew by some references to infertility and international adoption and then a visit to fairy tale land that just clenched the cliché of adoptive parents becoming pregnant. Um, as a childless woman with two dogs and in the middle of an international adoption… may I take this moment to say one big “Thank You” to the writers for that tasty cliché. As if adoptive parents all over this country haven’t heard that one before. Give me a freakin break!
And even with all the distracting marketing and over indulgent nudity, I still found myself with the tears running down my cheeks at points along the way. (I was the only one, BTW, the other women found nothing to cry about in the movie.) The story line was exactly what I expected it to be. The only way they could make a two hour movie (in the midst of the commercial) would be to provide us with yet another drama between Mr. Big and Carrie. A build up, breakup and then a characteristic romantic ending. It was vintage “Sex and the City.” It was predictable.
The friendship between these four unique women is the best thing about this movie. It was the best aspect of the HBO series and of this movie. Whether or not that one treasure is able to balance out the excessive nudity and overbearing marketing and materialism and adoption cliché? Well… I don’t know. Maybe a new pair of strappy sandals wouldn’t hurt…
I sat down with my copy of “Broken Time” at about 3:45 or so this afternoon and didn’t come up for air until 9:30 this evening. The writing style is a breeze and goes by so fast it will leave you wanting more.
Set in an underground world of labyrinth corridors, bunkers, artificial lighting and Big Brother style oversight, the parents of a small ill boy battle their way to each other and to wholeness. Doctors seek to balance discovery with personal sacrifice and come up wanting more than science can offer. Nearly every page holds a complex melding of sci-fi biology, and super calculating systems of both biological and technological origin. And yet the text manages to be human, warm and intriguing, even compassionate.
The story is a truly creative look at the space between life and death and the question of wholeness and identity. Complex themes of love and loss are interwoven with strong maternal instincts and grace. All in all an excellent read, and the most creative tale I’ve seen in ages. Bravo!
Here is the book’s description:
A dangerous new virus is spreading across the globe, Emergent Atoximia (EA). When an unemployed widower, Henry Poems, son Buddy is diagnosed with the new disease, his world collapses. Henry painfully watches his options disappear and knows there is only one chance left to save his son. He will trade five years of his life to the Burkette Group in exchange for the promised cure. The trade seems like a bargain until the Deep Sleep Statsis program, run by a one of a kind organic super computer named MARI, starts to develop a few glitches, plunging Henry into a world of trapped souls. Forced to navigate the endless hallways of a surreal landscape, Henry encounters a diverse group of characters that try to help him understand his connection with MARI while reintroducing him to missing parts of his own identity. On the outside, a desperate race for a cure is coming to a surprising conclusion as Dr. Alcorn begins to suspect that EA may have gone self-aware.
More info here: http://www.lulu.com/browse/book_view.php?fCID=2350732&fContestID=1&submit=%3C%3C+Back+to+Content This is the hardback version, a paperback version is available and also an e-book.
I should also mention that Tony wrote this book during the first fifteen days of Nanowrimo last November. And to create this whole world (rough draft) and cast of complex characters in FIFTEEN DAYS has really completely blown me away! And I am mentioned in the “author’s note” page. J Which I’ve mentioned before, but it bears repeating. I am so proud of him I could just burst!
