Sometimes movies are more about learning something than being entertained.  For a certain half of the population, this is the category “Confessions of a Shopaholic” will fall in to.

That’s because this movie is really geared more towards women and the readers of the series of books by the same name, written by author Sophie Kinsella.  But I knew that long before this movie ever came out… because my other half had already read the books.

While this may sound like another recent review… for those who have read the books, you should enjoy seeing the characters from the literary version of this story come to life on the big screen.   But for those who haven’t you may want to wait until this movie comes out on DVD.  Or if you find yourself seeing this movie as part of a date or “night out”… use it as an opportunity to learn something about women… and shopping.
 

I’ll be honest, this was on a list of movies to see, but to be fair, that’s because my wife sees so many “guy movies”, that what most would call a “chick flick” has to be the give and take on my preverbial watch list.

So while this movie has a pretty good story, with pretty interesting characters, and a decent premise, it became more of a chance to see things from another perspective that men don’t normally get: through the eyes of a woman.

“Confessions of a Shopaholic” puts you right into the world of Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher)… a young journalist, who’s life is all about shopping and would love for more than anything to have her career lead her to her perfect fit: a style magazine.

There’s so many lessons to be learned here guys… how important shoes are, the allure of purses, the critical nature of accessories… but the biggest lesson:

 is how shopping is instinctively different for women than it is for men.  For most men, shopping comes out of neccessity: the need for food, clothes, supplies and the mentality for most men is get in and get out with the least damage and detours from the mission.   But for many women, as we see for Rebecca, its a euphoric feeling, its a state of well being she is swept up in, and it becomes an obsession that can only be satisfied by more nice, pretty, and often expensive things.

But that happiness and euphoria wear off when the huge credit card bill comes in the mail… so how does a shopaholic cope with such overwhelming sadness and desperation?   Yep, with more shopping.  So is the vicious circle that Rebecca finds herself in when she ironically takes a job at a magazine offering financial advice.

 Fisher is well suited for the bubbly and awkward part of Rebecca and her supporting cast that includes John Lithgow, Kristin Scott Thomas, and John Goodman fill out the rest of the cast fairly well, but to no award winning level that some of these actors and actresses have delivered before.  While the story is focused on Rebecca, you can’t help but also notice an unintended message that seems very timely in today’s economic emergency: that spending beyond one’s means is dangerous.

The romantic part of the plot is largely predictable and while the “struggle” for our main character is well contrived and played out over and over, its is shallow and not overly painful for her.  So the resolution in the end, is well, easy.   The antagonists are also shallow and very typical with little depth.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This would be a good movie to wait to rent, unless you read the books, then you may want to see it on the big screen… but for the guys, there is little entertainment value in this one, but you can take some mental notes and learn a thing or two about shopping. I give it 5.5 out of 10… but remember, I didn’t read the books and I’m not the target demographic.

 “Confessions of a Shopaholic”

(2009) (rated: PG for some mild language and thematic elements)
(1 hr, 44 min)

Starring: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Krysten Ritter, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, John Lithgow, Kristin Scott Thomas, Fred Armisen, Leslie Bibb, Lynn Redgrave, Robert Stanton, Julie Hagerty, Wendie Malick

Director: P.J. Hogan

Genre: Romantic Comedy

The Plot: A college grad lands a job as a financial journalist in New York City to support where she nurtures her shopping addiction and falls for a wealthy entrepreneur.

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

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“Confessions of a Shopaholic” poster courtesy Touchstone Pictures

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