'Confessions of a Shopaholic' equals glitzy box-office fun

02/18/09 - Valentine's Day was the perfect day to declare my love - for shopping, that is. And what better way to scream to the world that credit cards turn my heart aflutter than to see "Confessions of a Shopaholic" on the Hallmark holiday?

As an avid reader of the Shopaholic series (Yes, the movie was based on a book) by Sophie Kinsella, I was eager to see how she would transform materialistic, self-absorbed Becky Bloomwood from the pages to the cinema.

She did not disappoint.

From the opening scene of poor little Bloomwood pining for the pretty sparkly Mary Janes instead of her bargain brown loafers, to the end scene where ... well, I won't wreck it for you, but it involves a sneaky auction ploy, with Bloomwood's novel personality played out fabulously.

True, she's a New Yorker, not a Londoner, and she starts out working at a gardening magazine instead of Successful Savings, but the Bloomwood attitude and spunk is definitely there. And "If I Was a Rich Girl" blaring from a cell phone shines through just a bit better on the big screen.

Isla Fisher, who plays Bloomwood in the film, charms the audience as an inquisitive, blunt and klutzy (at one point she hits love interest Luke Brandon a.k.a. British hunk Hugh Dancy in the eye with a fan during a "sexy" dance move) redhead, destined to find all the designer sample sales in the world.

Bloomwood, who is about $16,000 in debt after rationalizing purchase after purchase, is really hoping to land a job at the top fashion magazine Allette, but after a drunken (and hilarious) mix-up, she winds up sending a story about shoes to Successful Savings, instead of the editor of Allette. The editor (Brandon) somehow discerns that she is discussing financial business instead of high-heeled pumps, and offers her a job.

What ensues is Bloomwood - who in fact does not speak fluent Finnish, nor has any real financial experience, as her resume might suggest - flubbing up, but miraculously saving herself, whether that involves psychoanalyzing her boss, being spoon-fed questions about kickbacks or calling her debt collector Derek Smeath her "crazy stalker ex-boyfriend."

One thing I can say about Bloomwood is she is definitely one of the world's best bullshitters.

Eventually, the movie comes to a moral dilemma for Bloomwood and she has to weigh her newfound frugal self against her love for fashion. Ah, if only all of us were offered top jobs at world famous magazines. Such a problem, Bloomwood.

As for the other characters like Alicia "Long-Legs Bitch" Billington and Bloomwood's best friend Suze, they were pretty much on target for my expectations.

Suze, played by Krysten Ritter, was quirky and a perfect complement to Bloomwood's irrational way of thinking. The friendship was believable, but not so over-the-top I was gagging on my Junior Mints. And Billington, played by Leslie Bibb, could definitely have been a more prominent foil to Bloomwood, but she had the bitch vibe going for her.

Credit must be paid to John Lithgow for his portrayal of Edgar West, the somewhat tyrannical owner of Dante West Communications, the parent company of both Successful Savings and Allette magazine. Instantly recognizable as zany Dr. Dick Solomon on "Third Rock From the Sun," I was hoping for more of West throughout the film, but he only showed up to bitch at Brandon. The Bloomwood parents (Joan Cusack and John Goodman), also offered a good mix of sentiment and hilarity toward Bloomwood's mess ups.

If you walk in the theater expecting brilliant acting and a totally believable plotline, I suggest you go elsewhere. But if you "speak Prada" a la Brandon and Bloomwood ... it's definitely worth the $9 and a big bucket of popcorn.