TV Review: The Ex List- New Series May Prove as Popular as Sex and the City

by Tony Dayoub

CBS sent me the pilot to their new romantic comedy, The Ex List, set to debut on October 3rd. Based on a hit Israeli TV series, Mythological X, it was developed by Diane Ruggiero (Veronica Mars) and stars the charming Elizabeth Reaser (Grey's Anatomy).


The premise is intriguing. Reaser plays Bella, a cute, but self-absorbed, flower shop owner. Out for her sister Daphne's (Rachel Boston) bachelorette party, they visit a psychic. The psychic is shockingly accurate regarding Bella's recent breakup with Elliot (Mark Deklin), telling her she must get married within the year or she will never marry anyone the rest of her life. If that isn't enough pressure, the man she is supposed to marry is someone she has dated before, leading to the creation of the titular ex list.

This sets up a premise that follows one of the more interesting aspects of another female fan favorite, Sex and the City. Where Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle have failed is in trying to duplicate the Sex and the City formula too closely, four women with some dissimilarities brought together by their travails in the dating world. Don't forget that the chemistry between the four was developed over time as the actresses brought their individuality to each role. But the original premise was a lot simpler. It was about the women's dating experiences with men, and the quirks one encounters in these transactions. Rather than forcing casting chemistry down our throats, The Ex List pursues this lesser premise to greater comedic effect.

Bella reunites with an old beau (Eric Balfour), a singer she broke up with because he was too emotional. He now leads a grittier punk rock band when she sees him in concert, where he opens his set with a song called "Bitch!" that we quickly realize is about her. As she tries her best to convince him that she should get another chance, his tough facade slowly erodes, revealing the same sensitive soul inside. But is she able to deal with a softie all over again?

The glamour and gender-centrism of Sex and the City are dropped, and The Ex List instead focuses on the dating nightmares as Bella and her slacker support group swap dating advice. Her closest friends in that group include (straight) males as well as females, and she bonds with them while surfing one afternoon, a decidedly more down-to-earth backdrop than the standard NYC club of the week. This gives The Ex List a fresh take on a generic rom-com premise while still hearkening back to its popular HBO antecedent.

Reaser recalls Sarah Jessica Parker, in a petite yet tough kind of way. And the west coast locale suitably spins the premise away from the cliche territory of the current crop of like-minded comedies. Also, nice to see that her family will have some say in her dating life, with sister and Dad (NYPD Blue's Gordon Clapp... nice to see you back) in the mix, a notable dimension that was unrealistically missing from Sex and the City, where we never met Carrie's family.

I do wonder how they'll handle that one year marriage deadline if the show goes beyond the first season. And I worry that, at this point, her most recent ex, Elliot, predictably seems to be the one destined to marry her. But I'm interested in seeing who Bella's next ex/prospective husband will be.

Keep in mind that pilots frequently change before airtime. But if viewers get to sample the show as I did, I think they'll keep coming back.

Movie Review: Sex and the City - The Fab Foursome Set Their Sights on Conquering Post-Single Life

by Tony Dayoub

Denise was excited when I informed her we'd be attending the Atlanta premiere of Sex and the City on Tuesday night. My wife's not one to brag, but I could tell she was eagerly anticipating the movie. Exhibit A: She pulled out all the stops in getting a babysitter. Never had I seen the woman line one up so fast. Exhibit B: She kept asking if we shouldn't get our seats earlier. Exhibit C: A smile spread across her face when she told me how her coworkers were a touch envious, "Tessa said she doesn't want to know anything about the movie when I go back to work tomorrow. She doesn't even want me to make a facial expression." Now I know how she feels when I make comments like, "Can you believe there's only a year left till the new Star Trek movie comes out?"

Then there was the theatergoing experience associated with the film. Not only were there giveaways for such items as facials, manis and pedis, or a night on the town for "you and three of your favorite girlfriends", many a female fan arrived with said girlfriends in tow, dressed a little too fashion forward for a night at the movies, but looking ready to hit the bars and order a round of Cosmos (never mind that they're so 1998). I've seen Trekkies in their Captain Picard outfits at a premiere, the odd Stormtrooper on opening day of a Star Wars flick. I was even taken aback when someone showed up in full Indiana Jones regalia to Crystal Skull's premiere last week. But never did I foresee seeing clusters of otherwise ordinary women decked out so you could easily identify which one was the Miranda of the group, which one was the Carrie, etc. Anyway, out of respect for Tessa, and those women who hold Carrie Bradshaw and her friends' exploits so dear to their heart, I will do my best to review the film without any spoilers.

First of all, I am happy to report that the film survived its jump to the big screen without also jumping the shark. Rumors which I won't directly address here, but you know them if you've heard them, prove to be completely unfounded. The movie hits all the emotional notes that it should 4 years after leaving the TV airwaves, meaning you'll laugh a little, cry a little, but mostly you'll get to revisit what it felt like to curl up on the couch every Sunday night to catch the girls on HBO a few years back. Except they are not girls, anymore. These women have left the fun single life they used to gripe about, and find that post-single life brings a whole new set of challenges.

Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Steve (David Eigenberg) hit a big bump in their marriage, which brings her inherent distrust of men back to the forefront of their relationship. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is now a publicist in L.A. with just one client, her beloved Smith (Jason Lewis), and she wonders when she stopped living for herself and her life started revolving around just one man. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is busy preparing for her whirlwind nuptials to "Big" (Chris Noth). And Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is wondering if her life with Harry (Evan Handler), and adopted daughter, Lily, can stay this happy while her friends' lives seem to be hitting major obstacles.

Writer-Director Michael Patrick King, responsible for some of Sex and the City's best storylines, does an excellent job of balancing the women's individual stories throughout the film. With a lengthier running time (about 135 minutes) than usual for a romantic comedy, the film never feels sluggish. If anything, we are so happy to see the characters, and engaged by their easy chemistry, that we wish the movie were longer.

Sarah Jessica Parker is her usual winning and witty self, and Carrie and Big's plot gets the most screen time, of course. But Miranda, easily the most interesting of Carrie's friends, is well served by her involving subplot as well. Cynthia Nixon is charming in her most neurotic portrayal of Miranda yet. Kim Cattrall is still the sexiest, despite her being the most mature (look up her age, I'm not telling you). Of the four, Kristin Davis gets the spotlight for the briefest amount of time, but her character steals the biggest laugh in the whole movie.

With cameos by four other series characters, and an assist from Jennifer Hudson (who manages to fit right in, thank you very much), as Carrie's new assistant, the movie hits its target audience right on the bullseye. And maybe more, as I saw plenty of husbands and boyfriends that were dragged to the movie having a surprisingly good time.

It will be interesting to see, this weekend, if this movie will be the first blockbuster carried to that status level by female fans.

Sex and the City opens on Friday, May 30th, in theaters nationwide.

This entry first appeared on Blogcritics on 5/28/2008.

DVD Review: P.S. I Love You - Pulling Punches Causes Romance to Miss the Mark

by Tony Dayoub

A clever idea gives P.S. I Love You a little more of an edge than normal. Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank), a widow, starts receiving letters from her late husband Gerry (Gerard Butler). The letters are designed to help her deal with his death, and move on. They start out cute: go buy yourself an outfit, go out with the girls on a night out, get onstage and sing some karaoke. But by the time Gerry sends Holly on a trip to his native Ireland to a club where he used to play, and she hears the house band sing the first song he sung to her... well, there is more than a little manipulation from dear old Gerry from beyond the grave.

The film is not quite lighthearted enough to be a comedy. It is also not tragic enough to be a full-on tearjerker, either. But with a subtext that seems to be screaming that the charming Gerry, though dead, is not exactly ready to be metaphorically buried, it would have been extremely daring to veer in that direction.

The cast is there to pull it off. The two stars are genial, but better known for their dramatic roles. And with the oddball supporting cast that not only contains Harry Connick, Jr., Gina Gershon, and Lisa Kudrow, but also Buffy the Vampire Slayer's James Marsters in a strong extended cameo, the opportunity exists to do more with this film than the trifle ultimately depicted.

Neither comedy nor tragedy, the film plays more like one of those dramatic episodes of Sex and the City where Samantha was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Yeah, I'd watch it once, but it's hardly a keeper. Skip this one.