The last film I saw that offered an equally dark and twisted view of the human psyche, was Pasolini's Salo: a glimpse of something truly dehumanizing and a portrayal of the triumph of evil. SATC works along the same lines, establishing characters without any redeeming qualities, absolutely devoid of decency and empathy. At a certain level, one can see the film as some sort of uber-feminist dystopia, replete with scenes of symbolic castration; or maybe some sort of super-consumerist manifesto, where existence is distilled as lifestyle and an hymn to superficiality; or maybe as a nihilistic social commentary, where self-centeredness and egotism are systematically rewarded.
One thing is for sure: it is a deeply disturbing experience for the male viewer. The male characters in this film are gay, sex toys or rich daddy figures. The 4 females leads are predatory, utterly self-absorbed, devoid of any moral compass, guilt-infusing middle aged "professionals" - exaggerated caricatures of an equal-rights fantasy gone terribly wrong. It is a combination of American Psycho, In the Company of Men and Fight Club from a female viewpoint - an immature and violent wet dream that is justified based on the " I am being me" and "I love me" principles. I challenge any man to check out the scene where Kim Katrall's character dumps her boyfriend of 5 years ( that stuck with her through chemotherapy to boot) because she "loves herself more" and not get enraged and scared at the vision offered.
Of course, a lot of suspension of disbelief is required, since at the same time, the film borders science fiction - it is hard to digest that these women, manipulative as the may be, can actually transform successful and emotionally stable men into pathetic, apologetic train wrecks.
If you watched this with your wife and girlfriend and she didn't spot anything reprehensible in the main characters' behaviour, you, my friend, are in deep, deep, deep trouble.
One thing is for sure: it is a deeply disturbing experience for the male viewer. The male characters in this film are gay, sex toys or rich daddy figures. The 4 females leads are predatory, utterly self-absorbed, devoid of any moral compass, guilt-infusing middle aged "professionals" - exaggerated caricatures of an equal-rights fantasy gone terribly wrong. It is a combination of American Psycho, In the Company of Men and Fight Club from a female viewpoint - an immature and violent wet dream that is justified based on the " I am being me" and "I love me" principles. I challenge any man to check out the scene where Kim Katrall's character dumps her boyfriend of 5 years ( that stuck with her through chemotherapy to boot) because she "loves herself more" and not get enraged and scared at the vision offered.
Of course, a lot of suspension of disbelief is required, since at the same time, the film borders science fiction - it is hard to digest that these women, manipulative as the may be, can actually transform successful and emotionally stable men into pathetic, apologetic train wrecks.
If you watched this with your wife and girlfriend and she didn't spot anything reprehensible in the main characters' behaviour, you, my friend, are in deep, deep, deep trouble.