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Last night I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic
As a very quick synopsis, the story is about a young lady named Rebecca Bloomwood who absolutely loves to shop and would like nothing better than to write for the well-known fashion magazine, Alette. She tries to climb the corporate ladder by starting at a magazine entitled Successful Saving, but runs into many hurdles brought on by her own reckless spending habits. If you want to know more about what I thought of the book, check out my book review.
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed the book, but it’s been almost a year since I’ve read it, so many of the details have slipped away. That’s probably a good thing when watching the film adaptation of the book, because I didn’t get caught up in comparing every little thing to the book. I had a general gist of what was going to happen, but the story was just there for my enjoyment.
Even though it’s been a year since I read the book, I could tell that they had taken some liberties with the original story. However, I don’t think that the changes adversely affected the story, so much as created their own alternative story. There is still the love interest, Becky’s awful spending habits, the extremely awkward situations, and a day when she must reckon with the mess that she has made. However, most of the heavy and serious stuff is taken out of the story. Maybe that’s why they changed some major plot elements–so it would be more of a fluff story.
I think that I liked the movie version of Becky better than the book version. It probably has to do with the fact that Isla Fisher is completely likeable and charm seems to ooze from her pores. I’m not sure how I feel about the changes made to Becky and Luke’s relationship in the movie. I suppose they wanted to simplify and condense it, instead of making it develop over a period of time, as it did in the book.
I have to say something about the animated mannequins here. At first they kind of creeped me out, but as the film progressed they started to make sense. Since shopping is such an integral part of who Becky is and since it is a magical experience for her, I think that the “living” mannequins were a good choice.
The film is fairly tame. There’s one instance of the b-word, at least one instance of the a-word, lots of leg and cleavage exposure, and a drinking session with her friend while they go through credit card bills.
I recommend this movie to teens and women who want to watch a feel-good romantic comedy. While it’s not the best I’ve ever seen, it is one that I wouldn’t hesitate to watch with friends. If you’re hoping for it to accurately reflect the book, you will be disappointed. Look at it as a cousin of the book.
Possible Objections:
- a handful of bad language
- some ladies show lots of skin
- a drinking scene
- a cat fight
Rated: PG
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Until next time…
Lori
OTHER CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC POSTS:
- Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Book Buffoonery 