Confessions of a Shopaholic is a day late and a dollar short. But the presence of Isla Fisher is no small change.
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
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Reviews Counted:151
Fresh:34
Rotten:117
Average Rating:4.3/10
Consensus: This middling romantic comedy underutilizes a talented cast and delivers muddled messages on materialism and conspicuous consumption.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some mild language and thematic elements.
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:20-02-2009
Synopsis: Based on a pair of effervescent novels by Sophie Kinsella, CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC is a light and bubbly confection that should appeal to those who can identify with its heroine's passion.... Based on a pair of effervescent novels by Sophie Kinsella, CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC is a light and bubbly confection that should appeal to those who can identify with its heroine's passion. Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher, WEDDING CRASHERS) has a label-filled wardrobe that any fashionista would covet, but she also has credit card debt to match. She craves a job at the Vogue-like Alette, but a position at a financial magazine at the same publishing company may be her ticket in. Despite her painfully low credit rating, Becky starts dishing out advice on saving, while debt collector Derek Smeath (character actor Robert Stanton) is hot on her Louboutin heels. Meanwhile, she is competing for the affections of her charming boss, Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy, THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB), with icy Alette employee Alicia Billington (Leslie Bibb, IRON MAN). A well-heeled hybrid of SEX AND THE CITY and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, SHOPAHOLIC features the talents of Patricia Field, costume designer for those two films. The clothes are almost on an equal footing with the actors here, and each well-chosen piece in Manhattan shop windows or worn by Bloomwood helps contribute to the film's bright mood. A lesser actress might have been lost in all the colors, but Fisher is a formidable comic presence who pulls off Becky's ditzy lines and goofy falls with equal aplomb. Those hoping for a smart discourse on the perils of credit cards and excess spending are certainly watching the wrong film, but SHOPAHOLIC may just be the fashion equivalent of food porn for dieters. [More]
Starring: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack, John Goodman
Starring: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, John Lithgow, Kristin Scott Thomas, Fred Armisen, Leslie Bibb, Julie Hagerty, Krysten Ritter, Robert Stanton, Christine Ebersole, Clea Lewis, Wendie Malick, Stephanie March
Director: P.J. Hogan
Director: P.J. Hogan
Screenwriter: Tim Firth, Tracey Jackson
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Composer: James Newton Howard
Studio: Buena Vista Internationa
Reviews for Confessions of a Shopaholic
[T]his adaptation is really just about buying the 'brand,' and--like the retailers in the film--selling America something it already had.
Silly story of a journalist whose shopping addiction catches up with her.
Confessions of a Shopaholic, will only appeal to love story addicts wanting to add a little more sugar to a Valentine's Day weekend date.
Isla Fisher is terrific, but the movie ultimately mirrors a shopping experience itself. It's a mixed bag of elements you either want to exchange or keep.
Rebecca's attempted ascent to Alette magazine is boring. Her addiction is boring. The romance with Brandon is boring. The mannequins that come to imaginary life is %u2026 OK, that's just creepy.
An often contrived, but breezy, occasionally witty and mildly amusing comedic satire with a delightful cast.
There may be a real credit crunch going on but this hilarious non-stop laughing spree is worth the price of a ticket.
The production renders totally irrelevant all hopes for a well-made movie. It's one of those ragged, pandemonious studio comedies that hammers at plot points in every contrived scene.
Considering that the country is in deep financial turmoil, it's hard to sit through a movie so flippant about personal bankruptcy.
Not only is it an unfunny movie shrilly told, it probably is the most ill-timed and appallingly insulting movie in recent memory.
It's very hard to watch a wild-eyed woman engage in an orgy of avarice using a fan of maxed-out cards when so many have lost so much – even if there is a message within the madness, that fiscal responsibility is the true key to happiness.
This year's Valentine's Day movies aimed at women have turned out to be a good batch. But if you're seeing just one of 'em, this is it.
You don't have to see the movie to know what happens. But Fisher is such a nonstop comic delight that you might well want to see it anyway.
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