Burqinis, Botox, and Blahniks

Sex and the City 2 makes a cheap mockery of both Western and Islamic cultures

By Amelia Brown
Published: May 27th, 2010 | 4:15pm

Writer, producer, and director Michael Patrick King must have been banking on a shellac of sequins to distract from the disaster that is Sex and the City 2. In the second film based on the HBO series, Manhattan's favorite foursome heads out on a boondoggle to Abu Dhabi, paid for by an Emirati sheik who wants to hire Samantha to do PR for his hotel. This version of the UAE capital is a romanticized fabrication of a city in the "New Middle East", as the girls refer to it. With both the protagonists and the franchise approaching middle age, this seems like nothing more than a clever device to explore new territory, so to speak.

The movie could have highlighted the opulent aesthetic appeal of the modern Middle East and showcased relationships between the leading ladies and the locals they meet. But it does neither of those things. Instead, it takes a passing glance at contemporary Middle-Eastern culture and brashly dismisses it as solely regressive and misogynistic. Carrie and the girls don't settle for a mere dismissal of Islam; burqas and Islamic law are made into running jokes that stand in impenetrable contradiction to the liberal lifestyles they enjoy.

The clothes are always a central character in SATC, styled by the incomparable Patricia Field. This film is no exception as the Halstons and Herreras keep on comin’, but when paired with a half-hearted attempt at adapting to Gulfi style, it doesn't all add up. A chiffon scarf does not necessarily temper a thigh-baring gown (nor does it make it more stylish, for that matter). The group's failed attempt at “modesty” is one of many cultural misunderstandings the film portrays—all of which are, frankly, very outdated. (See: Miranda’s guidebook-informed diplomacy efforts to draw her girlfriends’ shawls up.)

The series was beloved for its inspirational fashion, portrayal of supportive friendships, and a pertinent interrogation of dating and love. All of which could add up to an interesting film, perhaps made more complex by a thoughtful Arab-Western dialogue. SATC 2 works when it addresses the real dilemmas of relationships and celebrates the joys of womanhood. But these shining moments are rarely glimpsed in what amounts to, ultimately, a silly pastiche of camels and cars and sex on the beach.

In lacking the series' depth and dimension, Sex and the City 2, unfortunately, does little to celebrate femininity. It’s too lightweight, like a corset that needs some whalebone to hold it up. Yet for some reason they chose the most inane feminist theme song ever ("I am woman hear me roar, in numbers too big to ignore...") which might actually be fitting for an inane and outdated version of feminism. What was intended as a frothy summer romp becomes a tasteless self-mockery. Even the shoes are outdated—Manolos are out, Carrie. Let's move on.