Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

This was a movie that I had very little interest in watching; after seeing it, I cannot say that I have any interest in seeing it again, but it was actually not all that bad. In Confessions of a Shopaholic, Isla Fisher, who is ironically up to her ears in debt, accidentally lands a job as a financial journalist. This film is not particularly creative. There are a lot of funny moments involving shopping and money and all that, and a few original lines, like the one involving 'google', but that is about it. Isla Fisher, who I cannot tell apart from Amy Adams, does do an above average job. In fact, she is pretty perfect in this role and is extremely believable as a fashionista who is in over her head. The male lead is played by Hugh Dancy, and him, I like a lot. I do not know if he has done a lot of work in the states, but his British charm and wit remind me of a young Hugh Grant. The cast overall is actually pretty stacked, including John Lithgow, John Goodman and Joan Cusack. These three alone make the movie a lot more interesting, a lot more enjoyable for the audience. The main problem I have with Confessions of a Shopaholic is that it follows one of the most overused romantic comedy formats: girl meets and charms guy, guy finds out girl has been hiding something but realizes in the end that he wants to be with her anyway. This film sticks to those parameters pretty strictly, so in that sense was a let down. I think my wife, the target audience of this movie, enjoyed it, although I doubt she has much interest in seeing it again. This picture was not all that bad, but shied away from doing anything truly unique. I give Confessions of a Shopaholic 2 and a half stars.