Against my better judgment and in spite of awful reviews, I went to see Sex and the City 2. As a huge fan of the HBO series, I felt I needed to experience it. But what I saw wasn't an edgy comedy with heart, like the show was. What I saw was one of the worst examples of flat characters, awful screenwriting, and American ethnocentrism that I have ever been unfortunate enough to witness.
In the second cinematic installment of SATC, the girls journey to Abu Dhabi when Samantha Jones's (Kim Cattrall) PR magic scores them all free stays at a luxury resort. They all have something to escape: Samantha's menopause, Miranda’s (Cynthia Nixon) work woes, Charlotte (Kristin Davis)'s "terrible twos"-ridden daughter, and Carrie’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) ho-hum marriage. While in the United Arab Emirates, the four friends ride camels, enjoy man-servants, and do karaoke. Carrie also serendipitously runs into old flame Aidan (John Corbett) in the midst of her boredom with husband Mr. Big (Chris Noth). Of course, the girls all learn the obligatory life lesson, and they head home to view their problems in new ways.
There isn't much to praise here, but I'll certainly try. It was a relief to finally see Charlotte have some real problems, since she's apparently spent the last five to seven years in a blissful haze. Davis brings some much-needed reality to the emotional breakdowns Charlotte has due to the stress of her baby daughter. Nixon also exhibits good acting; a difficult task with this stinker of a screenplay.
When Charlotte and Miranda sit down to have a chat about motherhood, there is a flash of the old days of SATC – the girls sitting around a restaurant table having coffee and discussing the details of their lives. Sadly, it's the only moment like it in the entire movie. I'm still on the fence about my feelings on Liza Minnelli performing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" after marrying the most unlikely couple in SATC history.
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