Imagine your relationship as a red Prada cashmere coat... It's beautiful and soft and comfortable; it gives you all the power and confidence. Then, you find out that it's dry clean only and the fabric is cheap, light material that doesn't keep you warm in chilly, windy weather and gets ripped at the seams the first day you wear it.That's not how I see a relationship normally, but I can understand shopaholic Becky Bloomwood's situation with buying things just for the labels.
On February 19, I paid a visit to the normal, expensive movie theatre, which is unusual for me because my parents can't afford something like that. Tickets cost eight or nine dollars per person today, which is pretty crazy considering the economic crisis today. However, the trip to the movies was worth it. I excitedly wanted to see Confessions of a Shopaholic ever since I saw the hysterical preview online.
The film stars Isla Fisher (the red-haired copy editor love interest in Definitely, Maybe and the crazy, 'stage five clinger' in The Wedding Crashers) as Rebecca Bloomwood, a New York journalist who has an obsession with trendy labels such as Prada, Chanel, Yves Saint Lauren, Gucci, and a bunch of others. She is so obsessed with shopping, that she's thousands of dollars in debt.
The movie begins with a flashback, where Becky is a little girl in a shoe store, sadly gazing at the cheap brown loafers her mom bought her and then looking back at the other girls her age who had prettier shoes than she did. Later, she passes by a very expensive store, where young Becky is mesmerized by all the beautiful fabrics and the women with "magic credit cards" who can buy as many of those fabrics as they wish.
Fast forward to present day, Becky now has twelve credit cards and an overflowing closet of over-priced clothes, bags, and shoes. But the one thing she fears most is the debt collector. She refuses to pay her credit card debt back, let alone even looking at the bills, and she makes ridiculous excuses over the phone not to pay them. And when the magazine she works for folds, she has to search for a new job and pay the bills back. She wanted to work for Allete, a fashion magazine she's coveted for years. Since the position she desired was filled, she gets hired by the manager of a savings magazine (Hugh Dancy, Jane Austen Book Club). Though, it's hillarious how she lands the job: after she and her roommate Suze looked at the credit card bills over shots of tequila, Becky wrote a pleasing article for her boss about the financial analysis of purchasing different shoes.
The movie continues with hillarious scenes and jokes about Becky's struggle with her addiction to stores and writing stories under the name 'The Girl in the Green Scarf'. She bestowed the title upon herself after purchasing a $120 green scarf with several different credit cards on her way to an interview with the boss of Successful Saving, who also helped her pay for the scarf by handing her twenty dollars at a hot dog stand.
The film is comical as it is suspenseful. Every moment was exciting, funny, and thoughtful as to today's economic crisis. I giggled incessantly when a mannequin came to life in Becky's mind, coaxing her into buying the green scarf. I give excellent, commending marks to the screenwriters. There is only one snippet near the end of the movie where it becomes dramatic, where Becky loses her job and her best friend/roommate, but it only lasts about ten minutes or so. Then, it gets back up to its fast-paced speed, only with Becky's financial makeover and change of heart. And the ending is just as funny and adorable as the rest of the film.
It not only pokes fun at movies and shows such as The Devil Wears Prada and Sex and the City, it takes revenge on all expensive stores that no one can afford. Every time I go into Hollister or G by Guess at Towson Town Center, I admire all the beautiful, stylish clothes but I never buy any because I know a simple t-shirt should not cost more than $10-15. I may have shopped at Wal Mart and Target for too long to believe that a shirt on the clearance rack for $15-20 is a good price, but I still think that a shirt at that price is an affront to any wallet. But go to a shop like Armani Exchange or Saks Fifth Avenue, the prices are much scarier than a bad deal at Arden B. A woman's blouse by Armani could cost anywhere between $50 and $98. Saks Fifth Avenue is even worse- tops cost as little as $100, and possibly even splurge over $2,000, which is almost the cost of yearly tuition at a community college. No one could possibly afford anything in there, unless that person is wealthy enough to pay for it, like Gwenyth Paltrow.
The other aspect of the film is that it gives the impression of "rehabilitation" for someone sobering up from drugs or alcohol. The scenes with the "Shopaholics Anonymous" group is hysterical and it eventually helps Becky kick the bad credit habit. ("My wallet is closed! I do not want to shop!") Also, the entire film reaches out to those with financial issues. The entire lesson of the film is not to spend money on things that are unneccessary. There are some cheap clothes and accessories out there that are inexpensive and fashionable. The film additionally reminded me of a lesson I learned in the past: NEVER get a credit card or it will ruin the rest of your life.
I highly reccommend any fellow redheads and fashion lovers to see this film. It isn't just some ordinary chick flick and it's well worth viewing than laughing occasionally or yawning through He's Just Not That Into You. Confessions of a Shopaholic is a long awaited, nail biting, must-see empowering comedy of 2009.
Rating: 5 hearts
Rating guide: 1 heart- Don't even leave the house, 2 hearts- Rent it, 3 hearts- See it in digital, 4 hearts- See it twice in the theatre, 5 hearts- See it twice and buy the DVD
No comments:
Post a Comment