Sex and the City 2 - review

It began with sparkle. A LOT of sparkle, the New York Skyline, the glittered the high heels, jewelled couture and it kept on coming, literally into the dialogue. But unfortunately Sex and the City 2 didn't sparkle for me.

Having wandered into SATC1 a few years back not really expecting much I was quite blown away with a movie that exceeded the TV series in terms of cinematography, storyline and fashion. The characters had developed and in the end I'd been on a journey, albeit it a very glamorous one.

The Gay Wedding, the opening event in the movie was so over the top it was a caricature and not an especially positive one. It seemed to be trying so hard to be both correct and comfortable with the whole wedding concept that the natural flow with the well known gay characters was lost, and the feeling was more discomfort. Surely by now BIG would have met Carrie's best gay friend on enough occasions to be unsurprised with men flirting with him?

We head to the Middle East and it feels like we're in an advertorial. So many products placed, a walk through advertisement for a hotel that goes on and on and on and on... There are wardrobe changes that are so obvious, it feels like a fashion show. But I don't like a lot of this particular show. The sex scenes, while few and fleeting, did feature some particularly attractive men, but they were mere interludes.

Still there are the main characters who are at times warm and fun, but at times holding onto lines that really should have been let go in the 90's. We're taken on a cultural tour of muslim customs that is so cringeworthy it's embarrassing. There's nothing subtle here at all.

It may be a reflection of the truth, of how as we age we don't always do it gracefully or intelligently and how we don't always have everything under control. But while I had fun watching much of it, as the credits rolled I was remembering more the previews at the beginning and wishing I had elected to see one of those instead.

Stockholm and Swedish things

While I'm quite a fan of Sweden, perhaps a little biased by the men, it's been by accident more than planning a bit of a Swedish weekend starting off Saturday night with a trip to the Theatre to see, you guessed it Stockholm. I'd long forgotten the storyline from the subscription guide last year and hadn't read any reviews, in fact I'd forgotten the name of the play until Saturday. So when it began with a striking couple speaking of themselves in the third person followed by a host of unexpected twists and turns, I was hooked, totally captivated by the whole mix of colour, music, intensely physical choreography and developing story of a beautifully dysfunctional relationship. The sex scenes were really hot, even if they were straight. I was truly taken away into the story, which is for me what theatre is all about and I'd highly recommend it apart from the fact that Saturday night was the final performance. Oh and while there were Swedish themes - it was not actually Swedish.

Update: Stockholm will reappear at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta from May 26 - 29th. Details here.

Which brings us to Sunday, and with rain descending we headed to the cinema to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I had heard it was good, but wasn't sure of detail. It continued the Swedish theme - a Swedish movie, subtitled in English, though I understand some Swedish which is useful yet distracting. The movie was totally gripping. Loved it, as disturbing as it was at times, I didn't want to miss a second. It was a little saddening to hear there are plans afoot to make a Hollywood version of it already... what's wrong with appreciating the original? Even if you have to read subtitles it's still extraordinary.