Let me begin by saying that waiting 1,556 days to finally get a fix of my four favorite ladies again was truly made worth it by this movie. Sex and the City’s last episode (An American Girl in Paris) aired on February 22nd, 2004 and I have felt that I had been missing my dear friends all of this time. This wasn’t just “a movie” to many of us. It was a long awaited continuation of a movement that started one night in June of 1998 (June 6, 1998 to be exact). After the first few episodes you couldn’t walk into work or pretty much any place with out hearing something either scandalous or fashionable about the show. We would all sit around and ask which of the girls we were most like (I truly believe I am Carrie although Cine Marcos believes me to be a combo of Samantha and Carrie). Who were these girls? There was Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), the hard working career minded attorney who seemed a bit distant from her own emotions. Charlotte (Kristin Davis), the Protestant Princess in her own Audrey Hepburnish fantasy seeking Mr. Right. Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) (Yes, she deserves her whole name in here), a woman living in a mans body, a true man eater. I’d have to say she nearly put a perma-blush on my face quite a few times. What didn’t Samantha try? I mean the girl even had a lesbian relationship with a gorgeous Brazilian artist! And last but never least, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker). Carrie, the wide eyed observer, she is a true New York City girl. Writing about her and her friends adventures in Mad-hatten while enjoying a bit of love herself. Yeah, she seemed fickle at times but we all new her heart had always belonged to Mr. Big.

The movie takes place 3 years after we left the girls. Samantha was moving to California to manage Smith Jerrod’s (Jason Lewis) career just after surviving not only breast cancer but chemo to boot. Charlotte and Harry (Evan Handler) got through the pain of meeting with a couple willing to let them adopt their baby just to have it fall through but in the end they are able to adopt Lily, their beautiful Chinese born daughter. Miranda and Steve (David Eigenberg) have moved to Brooklyn to raise Brady when Steve’s mom Mary (Anne Meara) suffers a small stroke and loss of memory. Miranda finds that she now must take care of Mary and realizes that family is all that really matters. We left our girl Carrie in Paris with Alexsander Petrovsky realizing that she did not want to be just like his ex-wife, thrown aside while he places his art first always. When things go terribly wrong and he strikes her, just as we would expect, Big (Chris Noth) comes looking for Carrie and finally finds her. Our hero to the rescue. Thank you for indulging me and allowing me to reminisce as I brought us up to present day.

Now Carrie and Big are doing great and looking to move in together. Samantha is more and more successful as she helps to shoot Smith Jerrod’s star ever higher. Miranda is still a hard working attorney and mother while Steve runs his bar. Charlotte and Harry are raising their precious Lily and life is good. That is until Carrie gets it into her head (or do the girls put it there) that she and Big should get married and what was just perfect and comfortable now gets complicated. In the words of Big “… as long as its about you and me” but it becomes much bigger than that. The plot twists and turns around each ladies lives and the things that need to happen to bring them full circle. You will find pretty much all of the old gang here, from Carrie’s ever present best gay friend Stanford (Willie Garson) to Anthony (Mario Cantone), Charlotte’s over the top wedding planner extraordinaire. There’s also a few pleasant new additions such as Louise from St. Louis (Jennifer Hudson), Carrie’s new savior in the face of despair assistant and Enid Frick (Candace Bergen), the fictionalized editor of Vogue magazine. The cast is back and although time has passed it doesn’t seem to have touched any of them. They are still as hot and gorgeous as ever. The costumes are true to the characters we knew before but if you can believe it with more oomph. I did notice though that our Carrie was not as outlandish as she used to be (yes, I will admit, I went in my best Carriesque outfit, red bra under lacy black top, well, you get the picture), maybe more sophisticated. New York seems to come alive when the girls are all in town. Just as the show used to accomplish, we were able to feel as if we were all native New Yorkers as we strolled through the city streets. Just as beautiful are scenes shot in Mexico and a few outdoor scenes of Malibu. The writing, well you’re probably reading this because you plan on seeing the movie and you plan on seeing the movie because you’re a fan of Candace Bushnell’s book and Michael Patrick King’s writing. You will not be disappointed. The experience, although you will be surrounded by other movie goers, will for a moment make you forget where you are and take you back to your couch or bed in your single girl apartment hanging on every word and experiencing every tryst along with the girls. I don’t know about you but the show finale left me feeling as if it wasn’t really over and I wanted more. The movie gave me closure and, yes, even though you know it will have a happily ever after ending but first they take you through some pretty raw sadness before the gang comes back together and shares with us a true family ending filled with laughter and joy.
 

Review By Priscilla 
priscilla@smartcine.com

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