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Confessions of a Shopaholic

Plausibility is not its strongest suit

By BRETT MICHEL | February 18, 2009

2.0 Stars

VIDEO: The trailer for Confessions of a Shopaholic

"Your mom and I think that if the American economy can be billions in debt and still be fine, then so can you," reason the absurdly accepting parents (John Goodman and Joan Cusack) of Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher), a journalist for the Manhattan-based Financial Saving ("the People magazine of financial-planning publications") who's both a member of Shopaholics Anonymous and in hock to the tune of $16 grand. Could her hunky British boss (Hugh Dancy) possibly find out her career-ruining secret — in the third act? Don't mom and dad know the US is mired in a recession? And isn't Cusack only 13 years older than Fisher? Plausibility is not the strong suit of P.J. (Muriel's Wedding) Hogan's romantic comedy based on the Sophie Kinsella books — Fisher is. If you don't remember the gifted physical comedienne from 2005's Wedding Crashers, you will once she starts shopping for a wardrobe better suited to her talents.

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