Blu-ray Review: Confessions of a Shopaholic

Release Date: June 23rd, 2009
Running Time: 105 minutes

The Film

I have never been able to understand an addiction to shopping. Neither my wife nor I have a problem with it, and I think our disdain from clutter keeps us from purchasing unnecessary garbage. Yet I certainly know shopaholics, and it is a very real, albeit ridiculous, problem that is a prime subject for a romantic comedy, especially in the wake of the success of The Devil Wears Prada. Confessions of a Shopaholic is a candy-coated romantic comedy that has an appropriate lack of substance but should still appeal to the fashion-loving crowd.

The film stars Isla Fisher as Rebecca Bloomwood: a shopaholic living with her best friend, Suze Cleath (Krysten Ritter), in the fashion mecca of Manhattan. Rebecca wants to work for the fashion magazine “Alette” but upon finding out the job is filled she pursues a position at one of the company’s other publications, “Successful Saving.” On the way to her interview she is distracted by a sale where she finds the perfect green scarf, but her credit card is declined. After spinning a series of lies to strangers, a man gives her the money to get the scarf. When she arrives at the interview it turns out the editor of the magazine, Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy), is the same man who lent her the money. Rebecca tries to ditch the scarf, but the truth comes out, and the interview is a disaster.

Surprisingly, Rebecca still gets the job, though she still finds herself plagued with her shopping addiction. She manages to transfer that energy into writing a column calling herself “the Girl with the Green Scarf,” and impresses Luke to the point where he invites her to a conference and ball in Miami. Rebecca learns more about Luke and finds herself increasingly attracted to him. Yet when she returns home her addiction has caught up with her in the form of a bill collector. Things take a turn for the worst, costing Rebecca her job and her friends. Rebecca will have to realize there are far more important things in life than shopping if she wants to salvage her relationships.

Confessions of a Shopaholic is an adaptation of the series of books by Sophie Kinsella. It is standard romantic comedy stuff with enough gags balanced with heart to appeal to fans of the genre. I found the characters too shallow for my tastes, but I am probably more critical than most since fashion holds no interest for me. I did, however, enjoy Isla Fisher’s performance, even if she did seem restrained by the story. The one thing that really grated on me was the soundtrack. It was far too candy-coated and poppy considering the age of the characters. This is a film about adults, not a Disney-channel TV movie.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.40:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. Vibrancy is the name of the game here. The warm, bold colors are realistic without being saccharin and are free of banding. The film is rife with primary colors and they look fantastic. Black levels are deep but the shadow detail could have been more defined. Fine detail is very impressive, particularly in the textures of the clothing and accessories. Facial detail is HD worthy as well. The image also has plenty of depth, particularly in the exterior city sequences. With no print or compression problems, the transfer is appropriately beautiful.

The audio is offered in an English DTS HD 5.1 Master Lossless audio track as well as French/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with English/French/Spanish subtitles. The mix is crisp and clean but far from immersive. The soundtrack songs and score are the most impressive and enveloping aspects of the mix. Besides those the mix is very front heavy, though the effects and dialogue are well placed and balanced across those channels. I was disappointed, however, in the lack of city ambience. With NYC playing such a huge role in the film, I was expecting an active portrayal of the infamous hustle and bustle of the big city.

The Extras

The selection of special features is robust but very shallow.

“Wardrobe by Patricia Field” is a 3-minute piece with the costume designer discussing her work on the film and is probably the most legitimately interesting piece on the set.

“The Green Scarf” is literally 2 minutes on finding the “perfect” green scarf for the movie.

“Temple of Shopping” is another behind-the-scenes 2-minute bit, this time on sprucing up the Henri Bendel boutique with a Shakespearean theme.

“New York: Fashion Central” is a 2-minute featurette about New York being the fashion hub of the world along with the challenges of shooting in the iconic city.

“Sample Sale Madness” is a 2-minute featurette about the insane sample sale sequence.

“Window Shopping” is the final 2-minute featurette, this time focused on the window displays in the film and the CG mannequins.

The “Deleted Scenes” section runs six minutes and consists of four character-driven scenes only worth watching for Fisher’s performance. A “Bloopers of a Shopaholic” reel also runs two minutes.

Three Music Videos are offered: “Stuck with Each Other” by Shontelle featuring Akon; “Accessory” by Jordyn Taylor; and “Takes Time to Love” by Trey Songz.

HD Previews and a Digital Copy finish off the extra content.

Final Thoughts

Confessions of a Shopaholic is a cute film directed at a very specific demographic. Despite the lack of substantial special features, that demographic is sure to enjoy the whimsical tale.