CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC: WHO KNEW?

With a title like that it is easy to label this film a "chick flick" without batting an eye lash. Cotton candy dresses, well accessorized and tons of shoes. It would put Carrie Bradshaw (Sex In The City) to shame.

So what. This film, for me, has the two qualities I treasure greatly. It was both magical and charming. On the outside layer, it is a movie about a young woman, Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) who loves fashion and shopping so much she lands a hefty several thousand dollars in debt. Yes, she's quite vapid, but she has a good heart. In order to earn the money to get collections off her back, she is (accidentally) hired as a writer for a financial magazine. The inside layer offers commentary on materialism and responsibility. Like a classic Three's Company episode, this movie has a lot of misunderstandings, physical humor and underneath it all, it has heart. Of course the love interest is singled out early on (walking with a target on his back) Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy). Let's face it; any and all Hughs from the UK are charming and unassuming. The rest of the supporting cast is star-powered and it was fun to see familiar faces.
I was set to shatter this movie with both barrels, but I really liked it. It's no No Country For Old Men or Gran Torino. It was light and fluffy and a fresh breath of air on these unseasonable hot summer days. Call me a flibbertigibbet, but this was a fun and most enjoyable film. The tango scene is beautiful.

Big unexpected BITE: What a lovely, topsy-turvey, incandescent, glowing gem of a film.