SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE: I loved the TV show and I loved the movie. It’s exactly what a fan of the show expects: girlfriends doing girltalk; fantastic fashions; great shoes & handbags; a goodly amount of sex, and much discussion of the perils of love and marriage. Oh, yes—and lots of New York. It doesn’t break new ground and it doesn’t attempt to become great literature, and in my humble opinion, it shouldn’t. It is set four years after the TV series ended. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Big (Chris Noth), reunited at the end of the TV series, take their relationship to the next level with disastrous results. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Steve struggle with marriage and with living in Brooklyn. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is happy with her husband and adopted daughter, and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) has moved to Los Angeles to manage the career of her young, hunky TV star boyfriend. Jennifer Hudson is the only major new character, appearing as Carrie’s personal assistant. Surprisingly, Gary, who gave up on the TV show after a couple of seasons, liked the movie a lot. He thought the story was entertaining, he enjoyed the ups and downs of the four women, and he tolerated the fashion stuff. Although many critics have been lukewarm about the film, we think it deserves better. GRADE A-