Movie Description
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.
Sophie Kinsella's beloved bestseller gets the silver screen treatment with this comedy that transports the novel's action from London to another world shopping capital: New York City. Isla Fisher (WEDDING CRASHERS) stars as Rebecca Bloomwood, a friendly fashionista whose star as a journalist is ascending--but not as fast as her credit card debt.
| Credits | | Producer: | Jerry Bruckheimer | | Cast: | Christine Ebersole, Clea Lewis, Hugh Dancy, Julie Hagerty, Krysten Ritter, Leslie Bibb, Robert Stanton, Stephanie March, Wendie Malick |
Editorial Reviews
"CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC is a cleverly constructed catwalk of a romantic comedy that's a lot like the perfect outfit..."
Los Angeles Times - Betsy Sharkey (02/13/2009)
"It glories in its silliness, and the actors are permitted the sort of goofy acting that distinguished screwball comedy....At the center of this maelstrom is a genuinely funny comedienne named Isla Fisher..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (02/13/2009)
"Fisher is alive to everything Rebecca might be feeling or wanting at a given moment while also, in the tradition of romantic-comedy greats such as Carole Lombard, Katherine Hepburn and Lucille Ball, being able to stride imperturbably through any disaster and come out on top."
Variety - Todd McCarthy (02/12/2009)
"Ms. Fisher has a few moments worthy of her abundant comedic gifts...and the cast includes Hugh Dancy, who is calm and engaging as the editor of a financial magazine..."
Wall Street Journal (02/13/2009)
3 stars out of 5 -- "[With] the delightful Fisher, a goofily appealing presence who -- as shown in a hilarious dance routine that sees her flirting coquettishly with an antique fan -- also happens to be a gifted physical comedienne."
Total Film - Neil Smith (03/01/2009)
"From its talking store-window mannequins to its sneaky debauched heroine, the movie is romantic-comedy fizz, but it's fizz that bubbles like champagne." -- Grade: A-
Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman (02/20/2009)
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