Confessions Of A Shopaholic

Review by Anthony Morris
View Trailer : Confessions Of A Shopaholic

For yet another rom-com about a ditzy girl in the big city who finds true love and a whole bunch of cool clothes, Confessions of a Shopaholic is actually pretty interesting. 

It is also pretty funny in parts, though that is mostly down to the fine work of "Australia's Own©" Isla Fisher, whose kooky face pulling antics are surprisingly charming and entertaining. 

But for a film that is largely a salute to maxing the hell out of your credit cards, this manages to walk a fine line between the typical Hollywood moralising and the slightly more flexible attitude to having fun people in the real world. 

Put another way, usually Hollywood movies that are about something that is fun but bad for you (drinking, sex, racking up huge credit card debt) and go out of their way to make sure everything wraps up in such a way that we all know that "FUN IS BAD©".

But this film, which in every other respect is your traditional "girl in the big city" rom-com (right down to having Fisher's boss / love interest be a stammering Brit) plays it a little smarter than that. 

Sure, the plot (such as it is) is mostly driven by the huge credit card debt racked up by our heroine and her frantic efforts to avoid the debt collectors, especially as being revealed as a shopaholic would no doubt get her fired from her new job as a quirky financial writer. 

But the film itself is careful to keep the lines blurry: being in debt is bad, buying stuff you like (if you can afford it) is cool. 

Or, if thinking about the way Hollywood wants to keep us all happy consumers while making sure every movie comes with a moral message sounds boring, you could just enjoy Isla's always fun ditzy act. 

Either way, this is a cut above the usual bargain basement offerings on the romantic comedy aisle.

4 out of 5

Confessions Of A Shopaholic
Australian release: 12th March, 2009
Official Site: Confessions Of A Shopaholic
Cast: Hugh Dancy, Isla Fisher, Krysten Ritter, Stephen Guarino
Director: P.J. Hogan