Amazon.com Customer Reviews
Nothing but a glorified sitcom and overrated to high hell.... - Review written on December 07, 2007
Rating: 2 out of 5
7 customers found this review helpful, 5 did not.
Many people out there look at this series as a mature, adult show about women and their real problems. This show is neither mature nor adult. This show is really just a glorified sitcom, with dirty talk and some very short (and not erotic) sex scenes. The 4 women are very superficial, and are not very realistic. Constantly eating out at posh restaurants in Manhattan (there are other burroughs in NYC, such as Queens and Brooklyn, where it is much cheaper to eat) every day, sleeping with a different man each week, buying as many things as they can, partying all hours of the night, and they still find time to work their professional jobs. These women are supposed to be "professionals", but if that were the case, they would never be able to keep up their lifestyles (even with doing Red Bulls and coke all day). I feel that these women are very unhappy, and they look for fullfilment through a hedonistic lifestyle. I hark back to the 1960's in the films L'avventura and La Dolce Vita, where this kind of lifestyle was depicted as cheap (spiritually speaking), hollow, shallow, and depressing (and it still is, regardless of what the media may tell you). Most of their affairs are quite meaningless, it's mostly sex without emotion, and the conversations remind me more of locker room talk written by sitcom writers. And the sex scenes (which many people told me they were so hot) are tepid at best. I have seen films by European art filmmakers (Bertolucci and Breillat, to name a few) that are light years more honest and artistic than anything this show can put out. Americans have very childish attitudes towards sex, almost childlike. They giggle at dirty talk, and try to show off their "knowledge" of sex, like when a 6th grader discovers the sex ed book, and brags about the new dirty words he/she has discovered. Overall, a very disappointing show. Do not fool yourselves...
Oh great irony!!! - Review written on May 30, 2007
Rating: 1 out of 5
13 customers found this review helpful, 5 did not.
After making me watch Sex and the City with her, my wife astutely observed that at the heart of this show is a great irony. Touted as a "breakout show" lauding feminism and female empowerment, Sex and the City ironically only managed to portray women as more shallow, superficial, petty and empty-headed than virtually any other television show in history (thank creator Darren Star). Far from challenging whatever backward notions might remain that women are not men's equals, all watching this show would actually do is effectively confirm everything about women that misogynistic chauvinists unfoundedly believe, especially but not limited to the beliefs that women are silly, adolescent, juvenile and totally unencumbered by any burdens of logic, adulthood or maturity. Great progress.
Tiring quickly of Carrie Bradshaw's infantile and meaningless ponderings--"Is New York all about change?" "Are new myths required for singles?" "Is life in Manhattan like a bagel with cream cheese?" Here's one: "Is life really all about perpetually asking meaninglessly vacuous questions and then posing witty but ultimately arbitrary responses?"--one is left to wonder what exactly happened to her in childhood that so effectively stunted her emotional development, seemingly forever cementing her personality at about a sixteen/seventeen-year old emotional age. Are we supposed to pity her that "Big" treats her like a little kid, regardless of the fact that she disturbingly acts like an unbalanced little child? I would say no, especially in light of the fact that in real life "Big" and Carrie would probably not be together in the first place.
Another of the show's many absurdities is the foursome of friends that comprise its main characters. Let's face it folks, unless these girls grew up together (and in the show they didn't), these four women would NOT be friends in real life. They would hate each other.
Romantic, witty, and irresistible TV candy - Review written on April 18, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
3 customers found this review helpful.
In 1998, just as the so-called "king" of all sitcoms was ending, Darren Star (creator of "Melrose Place" and "Beverly Hills, 90210") created his own - "Sex and the City," very loosely based upon the book by reknowned columnist and socialite Candance Bushnell. The series revolved around the misadventures of Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) and her group of self-obsessed girlfriends: successful lawyer Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), whose seemingly constant single status has led many to believe she's homosexual; naive Charlotte (Kristin Davis), whose life revolves around marriage; and Samantha (Kim Cattrall), who may have slept with every man in New York - on numerous occasions. Together, these young, beautiful, and talented women struggle through the late-90s (and eventually early millennium) dating scene, wondering why they're single, what makes men tick, and just looking for love in the Big Apple.
The first season, which aired in 1998, includes 12 delightful episodes. Within the first few enough personality types have been mentioned (such as "Modelizers," those who are addicted to sleeping with models) and enough ridiculous events have occurred to make the series potentially as memorable and quotable as "Seinfeld." The largest story of the first season revolves around Carrie's uncertain relationship with the mysterious Mr. Big ("Law & Order"'s Chris Noth). Carrie knows she loves him, deeply and truly, but does he love her?
"Sex and the City" is one of those series that makes you thank your lucky stars for HBO. The freedom that comes with running a show on HBO is incredible. There is uncensored and restrainless nudity and foul language (which may put off the more timid viewer), an essential part of the show. I imagine that without this, the show wouldn't have been anywhere near as popular or even as good, and on any normal station would probably have flopped. (To see what I mean, watch the HBO version of one episode, and then watch that same episode during the edited TBS re-runs.)
Not that the show's all about getting naked and cursing. There's much more here, particularly a stellar cast. Parker is a heroine for the 90s, and the other girls are normal enough for us to sympathize, but also more than funny enough to keep us entertained. Noth is unquestionably the male highlight, a tall, dark, and devilishly handsome man whose mysterious nature just adds to his charm. The cast is supported by writing that's thoughtful, witty, and creative. Unlike Meredith Grey's episodic musings on "Grey's Anatomy," Carrie Bradshaw's are truly meaningful, and I'm sure legions of women can identify with the problems faced by Carrie and her gang.
All in all, the first season of "Sex and the City," though short (each episode runs a mere 23 minutes on average), is a blast. The characters are down-to-earth and very human, the cast is brilliant, and if the show's attitude toward men is a little chauvinistic, the exemplary writing more than makes up for it. It's romantic, it's fun, it's clever - "Sex and the City" is an irresistible piece of TV candy that I would highly recommend to anyone looking to try a new flavor.
NOTE: If you are at all familiar with the show, or even have a hunch that you'll like it, I'd recommend you shell out the money to purchase the complete series set, a gorgeous package and a MAJOR improvement over the pitiful single-season releases.
The season that started it all - Review written on January 29, 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5
9 customers found this review helpful.
Before the ladies of Sex and the City had a clothing budget that rivaled Oprah's net worth, they were just four thirty-somethings focused on navigating the trials and tribulations of dating in Manhattan. The first season is pretty much verbatim from the Candace Bushnell book of columns for which the show is named, and it bears very little resemblance to the show that eventually evolved. The pilot looks very much like it was filmed in the mid-90s and seems to have been filmed months, if not years, before the following episodes. SJP's hair is a dingy brown, Kristin Davis is sporting a flipped bob haircut, Cynthia Nixon has a cell phone so huge it reminds me of Zach Morris', and Kim Cattrall has the worst hair extensions I've seen since Britney Spears. Also, the first season has a "man on the street" section where, similar to the HBO show Real Sex, the camera focuses on typical New Yorkers and asks them how they feel about the topic of Carrie's topic for the week. Carrie herself talks to the camera frequently as well, which can be disconcerting if you've only seen the later episodes. There are all sorts of little hidden gems in this original season, like the knowledge that Samantha actually had her eyes set on Big way before Carrie got him, Charlotte's been obsessed with marriage from the very beginning, and Miranda wasn't always such a workaholic. Though it's not nearly as good as the seasons that followed, the first season of Sex and the City is definitely worth watching to see the humble beginnings of a show that changed the way women view themselves, their friendships, and their relationships.
Delicious, Spicy and Hot. Great! - Review written on January 27, 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5
Sex and the City not only helped establish HBO as much as the Sopranos did, but it also gave adult viewers a show about grown-ups going through mature experiences often funny, sad, ridiculous and unexpected. The movie never felt forced or uninspired until last year, when it went off the tracks creatively. But even then, you still cared about what happened to these four women.It's comedy, its dramatic leanings and emotional diversions have often had the upper, stronger hand in the storytelling.This movie sort of grows on you, even though it's quite possibly the most man-hating thing ever created.
Fabulous - Review written on July 02, 2006
Rating: 5 out of 5
2 customers found this review helpful.
Sex And The City is one of the comedies for the '90's, a slick, classy affair that's not afraid to push the boundaries to the limit. It's graphic (sort of) depiction of sex is ground-breaking, yet it doesn't forget it's main reason for being out there, to be funny. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are exemplary as Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. The supporting players (Chris Noth, etc.) are helpful and the plotlines are racy and hilarious.
Viewing this DVD made me a weekly watcher of the HBO series. Everything you always wanted to know about women, men and sex as seen through the eyes of four ladies with something for everyone. Seemingly no subject is taboo with this group and it's all done in an appealing and intelligent way. Highly recommended for men and women.