"A new job? Hopefully. A new man? Possibly. A new handbag? Absolutely!"

This is how Rebecca 'Becky' Bloomwood, star of the recently released flick, Confessions of a Shopaholic, thinks.

Becky (Isla Fisher) has a terrible craving for couture. Her eyes go wide when she sees something she wants. She gets a crazy grin and an awestruck look on her face. Her mile-a-minute-mind helps her rationalise her constant 'need' to buy out the store.

Faced with her addiction, the sudden collapse of her income and a huge credit-card bill, Becky unintentionally and ironically lands a job at a financial magazine - writing advice on how to save money!

Life-altering move

This move proves to be a life-altering one for Becky. While fleeing her debt collector, her column, The Girl in the Green Scarf, turns her into a star columnist and brings much-needed consumer advice. In the midst of her new-found success and expensive clothing, she falls in love with her editor, Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy, and is very impressed when she learns he speaks Prada), but this love is compromised by her dream of writing for renowned fashion magazine, Alette, and earning enough to support her obsession - shopaholism. She is faced with a choice - real happiness or lifelong addiction.

Even though it's out of the cinemas, the DVD is a perfect pick for a girls' night in. It's glib, funny, quirky and romantic. The fashionable mannequins that seductively beckon Becky are really creative. There's never a dull moment: seeking retail therapy, Becky stands in line for hours and then fights another customer for Gucci boots. Fisher's klutzy charm and bright smile bring life to the screen.

Although seemingly naíve and very irresponsible at times, Fisher's character nails common issues we face every day - a love affair with materialism. But the light at the end of the tunnel shows that growth and change can and does happen, and we eventually see what's really important.

shaunette.jones@gleanerjm.com