I didn’t know much about this movie before I watched it; I like to keep things that way before a film unless, of course, there’s like a ton of marketing ploys coming at you like a freight train; in which case, there’s no escaping the brainwashing and pre-framing of your mind.
Being a shopaholic, Rebecca Bloomwood is a journalist; low pay and constant pressure to ‘look the part’ when rubbing shoulders with the real stars of society are just a few factors that contribute to her ‘problem.’
The film is funny without trying too hard and addresses some serious issues in real America. However, the Shopaholic novel series (penned by Sophie Kinsella) was set in London, not New York, as the movie portrays.
The movie looks very much and feels albeit a more colorful version of “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Bride Wars” and whizzes you through the one and a half hours of the movie pretty effortlessly.
Isla Fisher can be quite a slapstick in the movie, and I guess that’s how she carries the film. Her innocent, malice-less look coupled with her honest mistakes portray the character of Bloomwood well. The rest of the story seems to cling to her as the world revolves around her.
The storyline can be a bit patchy at times, extra scenes that do not add to the big picture, which is forgivable as it is meant to be a comedy after all. I would stop short of calling it a romantic comedy. If you want a clean (no violence, no sex) real-life fairytale with sporadic perks of ‘advice’ and laughs, this is just the movie for you.