Last Tuesday Sophie Kinsella’s book turned movie Confessions of a Shopaholic was released on DVD and Blu-Ray. For me, the release of this movie was huge – I loved the book and I love a good chick flick. I was mildly concerned that, like so many other books turned into movies, it wouldn’t live up to the hype in my mind, but rest assured, this movie was gooooood – like eating chocolate covered strawberries in a bubble bath while reading your favorite book and the kids are nowhere to be seen or heard good.
I think Kinsella’s original book was done a tremendous amount of justice – watching this movie doesn’t feel like seeing a poor rehashing of a well loved book – it feels fresh and exciting and well written and thoroughly enjoyable. This movie has got everything – it’s well written and funny and it makes you laugh and cry. And the seriously cute male lead, Luke Brandon (played by Hugh Dancy), who isn’t a jerk and does all the perfect things that the perfect guy would do – like paying an exorbitant amount of money to a hot dog vendor so that a cute stranger, main character Rebecca Bloomwood (played by Isla Fisher), can buy the perfect green scarf for her fake aunt in the hospital – that didn’t hurt either.
Rebecca has a lot of fake things going on – like her fake Finnish descent, fake excuses for not paying her bills and not accepting her status as a serious shopaholic – not to mention her fake qualifications and reasonings for becoming a financial journalist for Luke Brandon’s magazine, Successful Savings. But somehow, for awhile at least, she pulls it all off. Even when she’s being ridiculous, you can’t help but root for her. Isla Fisher did a terrific job with this part – I can’t imagine anyone else in her (gorgeous) stiletto shoes.
And Dancy and Fisher are just two of the great actors and actresses that made up the cast in this movie – Some other terrific cast members include Bloomwood’s best friend Suze, who is played by Krysten Ritter – who you might remember from her roles in Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl, 27 Dresses AND What Happens In Vegas – I’ve loved this girl in everything I’ve seen her in and this movie was no exception – she’s really incredible. Two other big names are Joan Cusack and John Goodman (do I even need to mention the laundry list of great things we’ve seen them in?) who play Rebecca’s parents, who are basically the opposite of their daughter as far as money is concerned, which is good because she’ll need all the help and support from them she can get when that other stiletto finally drops!
If you have read the book, I think you will be very pleased with the movie version and if you haven’t read the book – don’t worry, it’s totally not a prerequisite. So if you are looking for the perfect romantic comedy to snuggle down with – Confessions of a Shopaholic is definitely it, in my humble opinion – I give it a solid A for Awesome.
