By Lexi Muir
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“Confessions of a Shopaholic” stirs up familiar feelings for many women and many men as well. Especially now, a growing number of people know what it’s like to be in over their heads in debt with no way out. The main difference between real life and “Becky life;” however, is that in real life, everything isn’t handed to you like it is in the movie, and that is the film’s main, and tragic, flaw.

After finding herself out of a job and out of money, Becky (Isla Fisher) ironically takes a job at a savings magazine where she charms everyone and quickly works her way up to the top. After writing only two columns, Becky is soon the talk of the magazine and at the top of the world. Of course, things don’t work out for the best, and Becky is stuck making some difficult decisions to save her relationships as well as her future.

Becky is a fashionable and quirky young woman who comes across as much less than intelligent. Fisher played the “dumb” role well, but most of the acting was forced and completely unnatural. The obsessive, spastic and uncontainable traits of Becky did not come naturally to Fisher and came off as over-animated and cheesy. Throughout the books I also imagined Becky to be much classier and mature. In her role, Fisher came across as too young and immature for the character.

Also lacking in the movie was the surrounding cast depth. Becky’s boss/love interest Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy) is serious and badly dressed to the outside, but fashionable, fun and wealthy on the inside. They of course fall for each other, then break up, and then get back together in the end. Becky’s spunky best friend and roommate, Suze (Krysten Ritter) helps Becky to get over her “shopping disease” by forcing her to go into Shopaholics Anonymous. Becky’s parents (John Goodman and Joan Cusack) make a few appearances throughout the movie and come to help Becky succeed in the end.

As a huge fan of designer clothing and fashion, I went into the movie with hopes of seeing some great clothes, hearing some great “label-chat” and being inspired by fashion. Even if the story line wasn’t great, I at least had the hope that the clothing would impress me. To my dismay, however, Becky’s clothes were tacky, gaudy and something I would never wear. Sure, there was a cute dress here and there, but her taste in clothing included brightly colored fur, clumsily put-together outfits and gaudy necklaces. I was less than impressed with both the choice of clothing and the lack of labels, which only disappointed me more.

As usual, the Shopaholic novel series is much funnier, quirkier and more entertaining than the movie. Almost everything that was hilarious and great about the books, such as Becky’s obsessive morning routine, her relationships with the men in her life and her spastic and unordinery behavior, was left out of the movie, and I found myself missing those through the entire 112 minutes.

With cheesy lines and unrealistic outcomes, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” was entertaining, but not worth the time or money. With a predictable outcome and less than original story line, I found that the movie was like almost every other chick-flick I have ever seen, except with cheesier lines and (shockingly) worse dressed women.

“Confessions of a Shopaholic”

Directed By:
P.J. Hogan

Starring:
Isla Fisher, Joan Cusack, John Goodman

Runtime:
1 Hr. 52 Min.

Rated:
PG

Overall:
B-