Movie Reviews
Sex And The City 2 & Animal Kingdom
Matt Smith 3 June, 2010 - 2:46 PM
Sex and the City
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Chris Noth.
‘Sex and the City 2’ sees the girls head out of the Big Apple for an all expenses paid, no luxuries spared romp in the United Arab Emirates. The trip is a much needed retreat for the girls who are all coming to terms with the directions their lives are taking them.
Carrie is nearing her two year anniversary with Big, and although the honeymoon is not over, it is feeling a little like it is getting there. Miranda’s career is being tarnished by a sexiest boss. Charlotte is busy looking after two children, with the constant concern of her new bra-less nanny at the back of her mind. Samantha is rebelling against inevitable ageing as only she knows how.
So far, reviews of the film have been overwhelmingly less than positive. This can possibly mean one of two things; reviewers just don’t get it or the film just stinks. I would suggest the truth lies somewhere in the middle of these two possibilities.
Those with an intimate knowledge of the franchise are going to find plenty to like in the latest film. The directions the girl’s lives are taking create plenty for fans to talk about once they leave the cinema and a number of scenes remind audiences of why the television series was such an iconic and popular edition to the TV world.
Unfortunately the move from the streets of New York to Abu Dhabi is both a blessing and a curse. The new setting allows for plenty of glitz and glamour. However, New York could be seen as the fifth main character of SATC, and its omission takes a little of the edge off the franchise.
The new setting also creates some difficult ‘clash of cultures’ scenarios. Although the film is not racist (as some reviewers have suggested) the handling of some of the issues facing women in the United Arab Emirates is a touch clumsy at times, something the show could never have been accused of in the past.
‘Sex and the City 2’ offers a lot of the same and a little of the new. It is certainly not going to appeal to everyone (most men) but nor is it supposed to. Fans of the franchise should enjoy what is most likely the last time they will see Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha on the big screen.
Three out of Five Stars.
Animal Kingdom
Starring Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver, Joel Edgerton and James Frencheville.
International award winning crime flick ‘Animal Kingdom’ hits the big screen this week with a hype that rarely surrounds an Australian film. Touted as Australia’s best ever crime flick and compared to Martin Scorsese’s Oscar award winning ‘The Departed’, the big question is ‘Does it actually live up to its hype?’
The simple answer is a resounding yes, but it should still be approached with some caution. Based on Melbourne’s underworld and very loosely around the Walsh Street police shootings the film will no doubt be compared to television’s ‘Underbelly’ series. Straight up, it is important to say those expecting a big screen version of ‘Underbelly:The Film’ should look elsewhere.
‘Animal Kingdom’ is a tense, restrained, intelligent film that will leave you thinking about it for days after seeing it. The script is fantastic and the performances are truly amazing. The film revolves around the despicable Cody clan and the new addition of the family, youngster J, who finds himself in the care of his grandmother after his mother overdoses.
What follows is a tense tale of morals and family, whereby J must choose between joining the dark side/family business and finding a different path courtesy of Detective Nathan Leckie (played superbly by Guy Pearce).
The film is dominated by strong performances courtesy of Jacki Weaver, Joel Edgerton and the aforementioned Pearce. The stars of the show however are two actors with starkly different resumes. Melbourne teenager James Frencheville is fantastic in his first big screen role. Ben Mendelsohn, adds to his already comprehensive and impressive resume with a performance that could be regarded as his best yet.
The hype surrounding ‘Animal Kingdom’ is already great enough to disappoint some that will head out to see it. However, go in with modest expectations and you may very well be blown away.
Four out of Five Stars.
(0)
» 
Be a Guest Reviewer with MamaJugs
Each month MamaJugs will be reviewing the hottest new Civic DVD releases and she’s inviting one lucky winner to join her with their thoughts on the film.
