A&E Review: ‘Shopaholic’

February 25, 2009
By Nicole Calcagno
A&E Writer

Can shopping really cause that many problems? For Rebecca Bloomwood, played by Isla Fisher (from Wedding Crashers and Definitely Maybe), it almost ruined her life. In Confessions Of A Shopaholic, Fisher’s character accidentally gains a job, falls in love unexpectedly, obtains massive debt, and sells all of her belongings. Not a completely realistic situation, per say, but it still presents a good message throughout the movie.

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The movie is based off the books Confessions Of A Shopaholic and Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella. The movie is fairly true to both books.  There are some things that are different throughout the book, like the fact that the main character is British in the books, but American in the movie. Also, in the book, she comes across to the United States with her husband, Luke Brandon. In the movie, Brandon, played by Hugh Dancy, is her boss. The message and the feel behind the movie, though, were completely true to the written series. 

For being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (Remember The Titans, Top Gun), one would expect a quality movie.  Bruckheimer, along with the director PJ Hogan, brings that quality to the audience. The plotline is easy to follow, the atmosphere is pleasant and upbeat, and Fisher and the other cast members, which include Joan Cusack as her mom and John Goodman as her dad, flowed seamlessly together. A viewer might even think they actually are related.

One key piece of this movie was, of course, shopping. Not only was Fisher fashionable in the movie, her portrayal of a girl addicted to shopping was spot on. Her acting was very convincing in this role.

There are some aspects of the movie that are very unrealistic. The ending seemed to be too similar to a fairy tale. Things just worked out too perfectly for Fisher’s character, so it is important to keep in mind that the movie is based off of fictional novels. Regardless of a touch of cheesiness, the core message and the transformation of Rebecca Bloomwood are very endearing. This movie is worth seeing; It is one to see with the girls.