Do you ever feel you are just destined for greatness but have no way of achieving it? 

Through a mix-up Rebecca Bloomwood lands a job writing for a financial magazine that utilizes her simplistic yet honest approach to finances and expertise on shopping only to make her The Breath of Fresh Air to the stale financial community.  If she could only conquer the demons she preaches against.  

Confessions of a Shopaholic will truly become a new Gay Classic and has all the elements that make a great fun movie.  Between the fashion, the talking mannequins, and the intense shopping impulse this movie is chock full of legendary one-liners like, “They said I was a Valued Customer—now they send me Hate Mail.” 

Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) is a loveable sparkling jewel who looks for justification in every store and within every designer label.  Many people can relate to all the adventures she encounters whether it is the joy of secret sales, cleverly hiding from creditors, or justifying their lives through the latest Prada shoes.  Almost reminiscent of Dolly Parton’s part in Straight Talk where she becomes an on-air therapist giving real County Advice, Rebecca channels her own shopping culture into her magazine articles that bring people true understanding of their own finances.  Her boss Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy) plays a sort of Maverick and is brought into their magazine to change things around all the while escaping his own Anderson Cooper/Gloria Vanderbuilt famous family demons.  From their very first chance meeting there is a spark between Luke and Rebecca and he gives her one of the best pieces of advice imaginable:  There is a difference between cost and worth.   

Deep fans of The Devil Wears Prada will truly embrace this movie because Rebecca originally went to interview at Alette, an exact representation of the same magazine but the position was filled.  Kristin Scott Thomas plays the Miranda Priestly character Alette Naylor but is not such the vicious fashion vampire of Glenn Close.  The only sad thing I can think of is that Rebecca looks like the type of girl that would have at least one self-absorbed gay friend, be it a stereotypical Retail Queen or a hysterically fierce fashionista.  Floridians will love it when they go to a conference in Miami and have dinner and dance along Espanola Way and stay at The Hotel Victor.  One of the most poignant songs featured within this movie played when Rebecca breaks out the emergency credit card to Amy Winehouse’s Rehab directly followed by an elevator rendition in the store.   

Even though this is a based on a fiction novel, you want to believe that it is true and that it is possible to get what you want while still being who you are.  Through Confessions of a Shopaholic Rebecca leaves us with some useful life lessons: 

• A man will never treat you as well as a store does.

• Be careful of sending Tequila-inspired letters.

• Underwear is a basic human right.

• If possible, find out ahead of time what the uniform for the wait staff wears.

• There are Fins in this world so don’t claim to speak fluent Finnish if you don’t.

This movie is amazing and will make you laugh, cry, and remind you to reap your own rewards.  Now go out and find your own Green Scarf and mark your place in this world!