Confessions Of A Shopaholic [Blu-ray]

This is one of my favorite moving, so Cute & Romantic 😍

I didn't have high expectations for this movie, but I was curious about it because I personally struggle with compulsive spending. I didn't even know it was based on a book series... but I'll definitely be reading those now that I know! Especially since virtually everyone thinks the books are better. (Update: I tried to read the book and couldn't finish it. I couldn't stand Becky!)The movie is slapstick comedy (like "I Love Lucy") with some deeper moments sprinkled here and there to bring it back to planet Earth. The plot is totally unrealistic and WAY over-the-top, but often laugh-out-loud funny. And for me personally, it was also meaningful because of the subject matter.I was very impressed with how accurately the movie depicted spending addictions, credit cards, and debt collectors. It's clear that many of the negative reviews were written by people unfamiliar with the realities of compulsive debting and spending.Some reviewers derided her spending problem as being caused by an underlying character defect which made it impossible for them to want to 'root' for her. But it's an addiction akin to an alcohol or food addiction. It's not simply selfishness or airheadedness; it can be present in people who are otherwise very giving, caring and level-headed. The feelings she and the other overspenders depict, and describe in their meetings, are very real... though at times lampooned in the movie for the comedic value (which I found funny and not offensive at all; in fact, it felt good to be able to laugh about it). The back-and-forth conversations she had with herself about 'to buy or not to buy' were hauntingly familiar. "I need these gloves because... it's winter, and I have hands! Yes!"Many reviews also felt the debt collector was the one who was "standing up for what's right" and didn't like it that he was portrayed as being a jerk. I'm not a big credit card user, but we've had some past medical debts, and I've read a lot about debt and credit, including Debtor's Anonymous literature. In reality, collection agencies are extremely aggressive and can be very underhanded. They do exactly what the guy tells his colleague on the phone to do to be effective in getting money to get the commission. Yes, they do work on commission, and yes, they will pressure and manipulate and lie to try to collect. They will call several times daily unless they receive a written notice to stop, after which legally they have to stop. (I am not sure, though, that they'd ever actually show up at your door.) So it's not as black and white as people might think who don't have experience or knowledge of the issue.As for the thought-provoking moments... Most of all, it was the very first scene which really got to me. I actually had to pause the movie and go cry! It's a scene from Becky's childhood, and I'd had a very similar childhood experience. It brought me right back even though it's been almost 30 years. It also touched on something that is pointed out in Debtors Anonymous: that being overly miserly with money is not good either and can lead to feelings of deprivation that one may try to overcome by overspending.The other thing that really got to me is near the end, when the parents offer to sell something to help their daughter get out of debt. She tells them not to sell it because the item "totally defines you." Her father says something to the effect of, "The only thing that defines me is you and your mom." Compulsive spenders tend to feel that they are not whole or complete without being able to get the things they want. Her father's reply captures the healthy mentality: that material things do NOT define us.Oh, and if you love fashion you'll love this movie for the fashion. I watched it again recently with a fashionista friend of mine. She salivated over the outfits in every scene, and said it was making her want to go shopping. But by the end, she told me the movie's plot made her NOT want to go shopping and just be grateful for the nice things she already has.Overall, this movie for me was a mixture of some laugh-out-loud moments, some rolling my eyes 'yea right' moments, and some deeper thought-provoking moments. I don't think most people would find it thought-provoking unless they struggle with overspending. But if they do, this movie is good therapy.To close, I want to share an excerpt from the 4-star review by Lori M. Reece because she is spot on (I hope it's OK to do this):"Many reviewers seem to feel as though the movie glorifies materialism. I feel that the movie's actual moral is to ultimately show just how unimportant material possessions actually are. This, if you ask me, is quite reassuring in these trying economic times."

Why doesn’t Isla do more movies? She is wonderful

The Confessions of A Shopaholic film stars Isla Fisher as shopping fanatic Rebecca Bloomwood, Krysten Ritter plays Bloomwood’s best friend Suze while John Goodman and Joan Cusack play Rebecca Bloomwood’s parents Graham and Jane Bloomwood. Rebecca Bloomwood initially vies to work for Alette Naylor’s (Kristin Scott Thomas) magazine but Alicia Billington (Leslie Bibb) ends up with the job. However, she finds out through one of the receptionists Allon (Stephen Guarino) that Successful Savings magazine is hiring. There is a reference to the Wizard of Oz movie during a discussion between the Allon character and the Rebecca Bloomwood character when Allon lets Bloomwood know about the Successful Savings job interview.Fortunately, things start to look up for Rebecca Bloomwood even more when she is hired by Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy) for a job at Successful Savings. Additionally, Rebecca Bloomwood helps boost the professional profile of her boss Luke Brandon after she writes an article and Luke Brandon ends up being praised by one of the bosses Edgar West (John Lithgow) at his job. There are more plot elements and actors/actresses involved in this movie yet I must avoid saying more for right now. However, this movie did inspire me to follow my dream of going back to school to get another degree in what I want to study regardless of what my critics say and even if I start over again at a community college. Additionally, I have not used a credit card since 2013 but the movie inspired me to be more diligent with building up my savings account in my new job that I start around mid to late July (as well as having me curious to check out the book). My husband has joked with me that I’m an advertiser’s dream and I understand that the joke is nothing for me to brag about. However, my husband has also unconditionally loved me through both challenging and good times and his love has actually inspired me to continue to aim higher professionally and personally. This reminds me of how watching the character of Hugh Dancy and how he sees the good in Rebecca Bloomwood when most people in real-life might only look for faults kind of reminded me of the rose colored glasses that I’m fortunate that my husband metaphorically wears with me and his loving treatment of me. Additionally, I liked the plot element of how the character of Hugh Dancy pushes Rebecca Bloomwood to be her best.

I love this film! Never get bored of it.Brilliant actors and a fun script. It has quirk, characters you love, characters you hate, romance (but not it the usual way), relatability, a good soundtrack and a few of those "oh no this is gonna backfire!" moments.If you are wondering if you will like this, here are some other chick flicks I like, so if you like the same films as me, you'll LOVE Confessions of a Shopaholic!The ProposalHolidateI Feel PrettyIsn't It RomanticPretty WomanThe Other WomenHow to Lose a Guy in 10 DaysSpy

The Shopaholic books are like marmite - you either hate them or you love them and want Becky as your best friend. I belong to the latter category, but this film is truly awful. Surely Sophie Kinsella doesn't like it either? I can't imagine J K Rowling letting anyone do to Harry Potter what has been done to Becky Bloomwood. On the other hand, if the money is good enough, then why shouldn't she sell her soul? I think I would :o)I'm not going to say anything about the film's plot because if you 've read some of the books you will know the premise, and if you haven't, I've no wish to encourage you to watch the film as it's so bad.So I'll just say a little about what makes it so terrible. For starters, Becky as an American just doesn't work. While a lot of the second book is actually set in New York, Becky goes there temporarily, as an outsider, and ends up in quite a different job from the one in the film. Her friend Suze is even less believable as an American - she's supposed to be an English aristocrat and since her blonde hair is frequently referred to, the dark haired American actress is completely out of place. And then there's Tarkie. Anyone who's read the books can see that he can't be American either. And how about Becky's parents? Graham and Becky Bloomwood are a stereotypical English couple, a caricature really, suspicious of anything new and foreign, and with horizons that don't extend much beyond their home counties garden. OK so it's an American film, but there are American actors and actresses skilled in British accents, and they did manage to drum up an English actor for the part of Luke, so why not some more? There was no need to set the film in New York.Secondly, the characters are changed too muck. Derek Smythe is a comical, slightly schoolmasterly but avuncular figure in the books, not an evil pantomime villain. Becky and Suze really don't have to behave like shrieking high school kids just because they are American. That's like having Scottish people wear tartan and eat haggis. Yes, Becky is a dipstick, but not brainless. There are many good quality American romcoms around, with good American actors playing sensible people. What went wrong here? And Luke is unrecognisable. Why have him with bad dress sense? He has impeccable taste in the books and it's a large part of his character.So these are my two main compaints - why set it in the U.S. and having set it in the U.S. why shift the focus so much?My final problem with it is the lacklustre plot. Bits and pieces are taken from the original and put together with bits that could have come from another film. The result is a kind of slapstick that isn't even remotely funny and furthermore fails to shine any light on Becky's true character, which, in the books, is complex and interesting.

I loved the books eries so much and I thought in the first and second books, Becky's character was hilarious. However, the film has ruined that completely.1) It is set in America, for some reason unknown, yet Luke Brandon is English. Why? There seems to be no sense in this decision, since the second book Shopaholic Abroad is about her move from England to New York. They could have got two seperate films out of it rather then merge them into one crazy one.2) In the book, Becky is not so obsessed by clothes as in the film. She tries so hard to budget and make more money, but Becky in the film just seems to not even try and do anything to help her situation.3) Derek Smeath is turned from a kindly father-type figure to a horrible debt-collector with no sense of remorse. Why? There was no need for this transformation.4) Becky's parents look way too young, since she is supposed to be about 26 in the film, and her parents don't look much older.5) Important characters in the book sre missing from the film. Why? They were good and you cared about them when you read it.DON'T LET THE FILM SPOIL THE BOOK! IT'S ONLY REDEEMING POINTS ARE IT WAS MOSTLY WELL ACTED.

This is a hard review for me to write, I haven't read the books, and I have no intention of reading them so I am reviewing this solely as a movie.I watched this with my wife (who has read the books). As a guy I found it mildly funny and not overly boring. The movie is certainly a chick flick, and my wife thought it was quite good.I'm a big fan of Isla Fisher and thought she played her role well, in fact the general level of acting was pretty good - not Oscar material, but good enough. The script has been adapted from the books for the screen quite well and it flows easily enough.My verdict, as a chick flick it's pretty good. For the guys, I wouldn't watch this on my own but it's easy enough to watch with the wife/girlfriend to earn some brownie points. For the girls, if you liked the books, you'll probably like the movie too.

What a shame, this is one of my all time favourite book, but the film was nowhere near as good.All my favourite bits from the book were missing. Having said that if you dont read the book first, you may completely enjoy the film as you dont know what you are missing. It doesnt show her shopping habits nearly as much as the book does. The book made me laugh out loud at certain points (which reminded me of my own shopping habits), but none of this was in the book, in fact she hardly did any shopping at all apart from her G & D scarf!!) Its easy to watch but just really not that good at all. I was very dissapointed and if you have read the book i would definitely not recommend the film...sorry :-(