Re: The universality of Sex?

Dear Julia,

I completely understand the anticipation and subsequent satiety of those females. In 2008, I went to theaters with a single gal friend to see the first SATC movie as soon as it opened in theaters in London. The audience (of mostly females, obv) also started clapping and cheering as the movie began. Two years later, and with a boyfriend reluctantly accompanying me, I attended the SATC 2 movie today. This time, I could wait to see it until a couple weeks after it premiered. Still, I went despite the reviews trashing it.

So, verdict? I must admit — I was pleased with it.  !  Yes, I rolled my eyes into astigmatism on multiple occasions when the ugly Americans would say and do embarrassing things in Abu Dhabi, including a misplaced-in-time-and-place show of feminism via a classic Helen Reddy tune (Hey clueless, veiled Muslim women, you can be as liberated as we are in America! Um, where’s my black diamond ring, Big?). However, it was refreshing to see where these four women are in their journey of self-discovery.

Contrary to the opinions of my younger work colleagues, I think they look fabulous in their 40s and 50s — not old and tacky. I continue to abhor Carrie and find Sarah Jessica Parker’s tongue overly deployed in a desperate effort to appear sexy and relevant. But still, I take comfort in their enduring, two-decades friendship and enjoy checking in on their ridiculously insular, NYC navel-gazing lives.

Love,

Nilanthi

The universality of Sex?

Dear Nilanthi,

I recently caught the Sex and the City 2 movie premiere in Chelsea,  a fashionable part of West London. On entering the theatre, I was overwhelmed by a throng of females dressed in Carrie Bradshaw uniforms: glittery tops, mini-skirts, vintage dresses with brooches, leggings and stilettos.  It was an estrogen explosion, dotted by a few wary men who had obviously been dragged into the SATC fervor by girlfriends and wives.

In the theatre, I sat with women from Russia, Lebanon, Japan, and Canada. The far corners of the world represented, all brimming with excitement about the premiere. The commercials finished, and the opening scene was met with cheers and screeches of excitement from the audience. Something about these characters translated across cultures and managed a hold on these diverse imaginations. It didn’t seem to matter that the the charm of the original SATC was extinguished in the film, and that the characters were one-dimensional vessels for designer dresses and shoes. Neither did it matter that there was more lifestyle porn than plot, or that the part of the story that takes place in Abu Dhabi was rife with offensive Arab stereotypes.

For all the stinking, horrible reviews of the film, for the cheap story, and garish drag-queen behaviour of the characters, it seemed the people in the theatre that night were moved. So Nilanthi, tell me what about SATC  translates to all these women?

Best,

Julia

London love through film

Dear Julia,

For the last few days, I’ve been suffering from London withdrawal. While intellectually, I recognize that city will never be as it was during grad school — filled with all the wonderful characters we had a chance to know — sometimes, my love of the city overwhelms and until I can visit again, the only way to subdue my longing for London is through film.

So, in case you were suffering from a case of the post-London blues, I thought I’d prescribe a few films. Here are my faves; some of these even inspired me to live in the city, which makes you wonder at the power of film and media to influence people…

1. Howard’s End
2. The Remains of the Day
3. Miss Julie
4. Sense and Sensibility
5. Velvet Goldmine
6. Absolutely Fabulous (This bbc tv series is the definitive reason I knew I needed to live in london)
7. Coupling (Another bbc tv series and how I’d imagine my post-LSE life in London)
8. The Winter Guest
9. Shirley Valentine
10. Trainspotting
11. Little voice
12. About a Boy
13. Blow Dry
14. The Triple Echo
15. Metroland

Love from not-London,

Nilanthi