'Confessions of a Shopaholic' review

Hugh Dancy and Isla Fisher (Credit: Robert Zuckerman/Touchstone)

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Out of work and more than $16,000 in the red, wannabe fashion journalist Rebecca (Isla Fisher, very charming) somehow lands a job at a financial magazine where she writes a column that compares the economy to shopping. Even more conveniently, Rebecca's editor (Hugh Dancy) is an agreeable British chap who doesn't complain when she blows off work to hit a sale and demonstrates casual romantic interest in her as if he was just some guy she picked up in the checkout line. Co-starring Krysten Ritter as Rebecca's sensible roommate/best friend, John Goodman and Joan Cusack as Rebecca's frugal parents, Leslie Bibb as the requisite bitchy threat to Rebecca's career and crush, and Kristin Scott Thomas as an icy fashion mag exec. Très original, no?

The buzz: Needless to say this romantic comedy about excessive spending—based on the first two books in Sophie Kinsella's "Shopaholic" series—is pure fluff. In this dreadful economy is there still fun in a fantasy where a girl's problems could be easily solved by putting away the credit cards or even just buying from somewhere cheaper than Marc Jacobs?

The verdict: Cheerfully stupid at best and totally insulting at worst, the horrifically timed "Shopaholic" condescends to women in ways that the comparatively subtle "Sex and the City" or slightly less superficial "The Devil Wears Prada" never does. Any time there's something potentially funny or sympathetic about consumer temptation, "Shopaholic" stops and asks, "What can we do to make this scene more cute, outrageous or just plain fab?" Worse, Rebecca is an addict without a cause. We see her destroy her credit, threaten her personal relationships and risk her job, all because she says she can't get enough of the love shopping provides. Between her good looks, sunny demeanor, great thrifty family and apparent lack of trouble in the relationship department, what void is she trying to fill?

Did you know? Rebecca defends a particularly expensive and unnecessary purchase by claiming, "Underwear is a basic human right." No complaints here, but it's doubtful the nation's forefathers chose to highlight panties as a primary social issue.

Video: Watch Matt's review of 'Shopaholic'

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