DVD reviews: Sex and the City

Sex And The City: The Movie

***

So yes, this is like choking down a stinging reduction of the entire TV series in one sitting. It’s girly, twirly, pink and screechy and, if you’re male, you’ll need to binge a few episodes of Top Gear to restore your testosterone balance. If you’re female, however, and a fan of the show – well, safe to say you’re probably outside the doors of HMV now, battering on the door with a stiletto. One problem though: while the original series actually had something to say – raising a wry eyebrow to the frenzy of instant celebrity, daring to present metropolitan women as more than just eye-catching accessories for their men – the movie version, with its withering obsession with bland brands and wedding chic, is sadly happy to revert to airhead type.

The Wire: Complete Season 5

*****

The best thing to be on television ever (apart from perhaps The Sopranos – oh, and maybe The World At War) comes to an end with a staredown of the queasy relationship between police and media. Far, far beyond the usual, cartoonish, morally monochrome TV view of cops and robbers, The Wire is practically documentary-like in its obsession with authenticity and the resulting muscular force of the drama outpunches anything else in genre TV or movies. A modern masterpiece. Look out for creator David Simon’s Iraq mini series Generation Kill on FX soon.

Gone Baby Gone

****

Ben Affleck’s directorial debut was delayed and had its marketing muted in Europe by the Madeleine McCann story. Shame, because the assured and adult story of a young girl’s abduction around the shadowy streets of Boston is one of the year’s sharpest sleeper hits. Michelle Monaghan’s fluffiness sits awkwardly with the dark, doomy, Mystic River vibe. But, as a private investigator who shakes out the unbelievable truth, Casey Affleck is fast growing into one of the most watchable and intelligent actors around.

Flashbacks Of A Fool

**

Daniel Craig’s post-Bond role sees him coasting as a has-been Hollywood star, revisiting his youth in early 70s Britain.

Beautifully shot and smartly paced by director Baillie Walsh, but it’s an empty, directionless film that seems more interested in mood and style than character substance (see also Atonement).