Confessions of a Shopaholic

A budding magazine writer (Isla Fisher) tries to wangle a job at an elite fashion magazine while struggling with her addiction to buying expensive things. Tracey Jackson, Tim Firth and Kayla Alpert’s script has a sickening familiarity, reminiscent of trendy urban working-girl comedies too forgettable to bother even remembering their titles; this one won’t be worth remembering either in a week or two. Fisher has a winning flair for combining petite pertness with knockabout comedy, there’s a rare comic turn by Kristin Scott Thomas as a snooty editor, and director P.J. Hogan pulls off a few clever ideas, like the sleek mannequins that come to life, cooing sales pitches in Fisher’s ear. But on balance, the movie is a lot like those mannequins—too long, too thin, and without distinguishing characteristics.