(image courtesy of www.cinemasterpieces.com)"...and those girls didn't need money at all. All they needed was their magic cards. And all I wanted when I grew up was one. Little did I know that I'd end up with twelve!"
As mentioned and promised, I attended the Boston advance screening of Confessions of a Shopaholic this evening at the AMC on Tremont Street (my personal favorite movie theater around). When I say I loved this movie, I mean it. I loved the books. I loved the movie. I love Isla Fisher as the shopaholic, designer obsessed Becky Bloomwood. I love how the movie seems to focus on her, and not on the love story that so infiltrates the books. I love the humor, the clothes and the music of this movie. But let me be more detailed...
I consider myself lucky that I haven't read the books by Sophia Kinsella within a few years. Those with the books at the forefront of their minds, you might be disappointed. I, for one, know that I will be bringing my copy of Confessions of a Shopaholic with me on the T tomorrow morning to re-read. One noticable thing that the wonders of Hollywood have done is make Becky Bloomwood not British. Sorry to all you Londonites, but in this, Becky is a born, bred and raised New York girl. Secondly, with that being known, events from books one (Confessions of a Shopaholic) and two (Shopaholic Takes Manhattan) are smushed into this one hour, fifty-three minute movie.
The music of the movie is a pop princess's dream. I heard Katy Perry in a few scenes. I heard Amy Winehouse. Most importantly though, I heard Lady Gaga. More specifically, Lady Gaga's rendition of the ever wonderful "Fashion" as sung by Heidi Montag. Choose not to believe me, but I wouldn't say it if it's true, but somehow, someway, Montag takes the win in this pop song duel. Gaga's version appears in a snippet during the movie, and in a longer version during the credits, and is rather lackluster. Disappointing, but true.
Isla Fisher is Becky Bloomwood in this movie. She is not Borat (or excuse me, Sasha Baron Cohen's)'s wife. She is Becky Bloomwood. Journalist and shopaholic. She does such a great job that I couldn't see another actress fitting such a role so perfectly. Her co-star, Hugh Dancy as the charming Luke Brandon becomes more attractive with each moment that the movie goes on. The romance storyline could be better developed, however, the focus on Becky Bloomwood as an individual is wonderful - and a refreshing change from so many female focused movies that focus on the 'they' rather than the 'her' of the character.
The first thing I said as I turned to A, my best friend at the theater with me, was, "Oh my god. That was about eighty times better than He's Just Not That Into You." And it's true. Confessions of a Shopaholic is the first legitimate, fun-filled, non-boring, laugh out loud funny girly film of 2009. It's a fabulous thing.
Grade: A-
-M
