Sex and The City
It’s taken nearly five years, and was at one point ruled out altogether: But after a lot of ‘uming and ahing’ over scripts and the number of digits on Kim Cattrell’s pay cheque, it’s finally here.
On May 28th Sex and the City hits the big screen - complete with original cast. Hotly anticipated, the film has already attracted much magazine publicity and those familiar to Heat magazine will already know about Charlotte’s possible adopted child, and Steve’s possible unfaithfulness to Miranda: However it all seems to be about the big wedding. Question is… is it a happy ever after for Carrie and Big?
We’ve all see the photo’s of her in decked out in Zac Posen couture - veil blowing, veins popping, attempting to knock Big out with a bouquet of roses – but is it even Carrie and Big’s wedding, or did he just turn up and ruin it, or ‘do a Ross’ and say the wrong name at the alter?
And if they do get married, can Mr Big ever really commit and transform into Prince Charming, or will he remain the emotionally inept, Freudian nightmare we know and loath from the TV series?
Big aside, I can’t help feel a smidgen of doubt as to whether the highly successful TV series can translate to the silver screen and be as successful. The mission impossible franchise, for example, has been a huge success. However this is a film based on a concept of a program. Sex and the city is a continuation of a series in which the characters have already reached plateaux in the final episodes ‘American girl in Paris.’ Do we want to see the girls settling down to family life, of even just a steady relationship?
Part of me still wants to see a neurotic Charlotte searching for Mr Right, wondering when Mr Big will next stop by in his chauffeur driven car and watch Samantha working her was through the men of Manhattan and the Karma Sutra simultaneously… where can it go from here?
To make it a success it has to be bigger, the outfits more fabulous, the script funnier and the sex more explicit. Whether it’s as good as the program remains to be seen, but it’s a definite must see: can Samantha stop shagging? Does Charlotte get her perfect family? Just how does Carrie afford so many pairs of Manolo Blahniks?!
All your questions will be answered!
Frances Kroon
The Dark Knight
It’s been a rough 11 years for the Caped Crusader; from the lowest of the low with Batman and Robin to one of the best comic book films ever in Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne has seen and done it all … or so he thought. When Christopher Nolan decided to take on the mantel of reinventing DC’s greatest superhero the film world took a collective gasp, they needn’t have worried. Nolan’s 2005 film was a work of genius, it took Batman back to his deepest darkest roots and delivered the huge slice of realism long missing from the franchise.
Now in 2008 under the cloud of tragedy and ever increased apprehension how will Nolan fare? Cast wise this is could potentially be the greatest Batman film ever; returning from the last film are the ever magnificent Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman, new additions this time include Maggie Gyllenhaal (replacing the only weak link from the last film Katie Holmes), Aaron Eckhart and most importantly Heath Ledger. By now nearly everyone on the planet has heard the terrible tragedy that lead to Ledger’s death and this isn’t the place to discuss it; what is worth discussing is his performance as Batman’s greatest ever foe, the Joker.
When Ledger was originally cast there was a general sense of surprise in Hollywood; why not have Nicholson back? Nolan however seems to have pulled the proverbial rabbit from the hat. Early trailers and talk from the set suggests Ledger may have really providing something special with Michael Caine even touting Oscar nominations. This I feel may have more to do with Heath’s death than any real Oscar potential but without a doubt it is not gossip to take likely.
Script wise there has been very little given away. What we do is that come July 25th the Joker’s reign of terror will hit Gotham in a big way and that a certain attorney named Harvey Dent is likely to play as much of a role as Batman himself. This will no doubt be Batman’s greatest test but can he and Christopher Nolan pull it off again?
Pete Duggan
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
This past year has seen the final hurrah of some of our favourite ageing hipsters, with Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis releasing fourth instalments of their respective testosterone filled sagas. This summer sees the arrival of the latest film in one of the greatest franchises of all time.
Scheduled to be released in May 2008, Harrison Ford returns as Indiana Jones alongside an all star cast including Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone, John Hurt and Karen Allen. This fourth film, which fans have waited for 19 years for is the brainchild of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, so expectations are suitably high.
A veil of secrecy has surrounded the project but what is known is that a now much aged Indie is called back into action in 1959, with a new enemy to face. After foiling the efforts of the Nazi’s in ‘The Last Crusade’ he must face America’s latest foe, the Soviet Union, in the race to uncover the secret behind mysterious artefacts known as the Crystal Skulls. This mission will take him to numerous exotic locations including Peru and Mexico City as well as familiar sites from previous films.
All that is left now is to see whether time has taken its toll over Ford, or whether he will be able to don his signature hat and bullwhip and continue were he left off as the worlds most famous and adventurous archaeologist.
Tom Rowland-Symondson
