Fridae

Cosmos, couture, clubs and c*cks. These being a few of our favourite things, it's not difficult to see why Sex and the City captivated the queer crowd from the beginning � especially gay men. The adventures of four single women who have plenty of sex with different men were something that gay men could relate to instantly.

The shopping, clothes, gossiping, bitchiness and backstabbing were just icing on the cake.

That the show is created by gay producer Darren Star and frequently written/directed by gay helmer Michael Patrick King, is no coincidence. Although it's originally based on a book by a woman (Candace Bushnell), it was these gay men who helped push the show to another level, fleshing out the characters far beyond what was provided by the book.

Some TV critics even went so far as to say that Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha were really gay men dressed in women's clothing � a charge that seems particularly true of Samantha who "f*cks like a man", for pure pleasure and with no strings attached.

But that point is debatable, seeing as how the later seasons take pains to tackle real women's issues, like biological clocks and motherhood (Charlotte and Miranda), marrying up (Charlotte) or down (Miranda), breast cancer (Samantha) and abortion (Samantha, Carrie and Miranda).

And in new Sex and the City: The Movie, all the characters � with the exception of Samantha � have grown more mature and womanly. Whether it's Carrie being still single at 40, Miranda juggling family and career, and Charlotte settling into motherhood, the movie attempts to portray the lives of modern women as they really are.

Yes, the dialogue is still razor-sharp, the clothes are more fabulous than ever, and Samantha hasn't stopped being kinky, but there is a tinge of sadness and poignancy in the lives of the other women. Nobody really wants to be a slut anymore. Nobody wants to bar-hop all night. Everybody just wants to settle down and find their happily-ever-after.

Amazingly, writer-director Michael Patrick King manages to find the right balance between the piquant and the poignant, showing how the women are still fabulous at 40 but have also grown a little bitter with experience. You'll laugh, cry and nod in agreement at what the four have to say about love and life.

We thoroughly loved this movie. And we know you will too.