Siskel & Pegs

Confessions of a Shopaholic 3 stars

Having read two of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, I was stoked to see this movie. My roommate and I got tickets online the night before, not wanting to chance not being able to get in on opening night. (We learned later that we needn't have worried.)

Isla Fisher is darling as Rebecca Bloomwood, as is the hum-uh-nuh hum-uh-nuh British actor playing the charming Luke Brandon. While quite different from the books (Rebecca is British in the novels and American in the movie), it is still everything a girl could want in a true chick flick. As Rebecca smashes a block of frozen ice that contains her prized credit card, you laugh with her. As she lets go of her precious Denny & George green scarf in order to pay off her debt, your heart is at once proud of Rebecca and breaking with her over the loss such a beautiful accessory.

Go see it, ladies. And take your favorite accessory with you.

He's Just Not That Into You 3 stars

I'm a fan of most movies with more than one storyline, so this one immediately got on my good side. Packed with stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connolly, Ginnifer Goodwin, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson, this chick flick will make you laugh and cry.

You will likely identify with at least one character, even if you're a dude. Filled with stereotypical characters of both genders, there is the:
--classic idealistic, clingy, needy girl (Ginnifer),
--the girl who hung on to a dead-end relationship hoping he'd change for her (Jennifer A),
--the girl who gets cheated on by her husband yet thinks they can work it out just because he says he wants to (Jennifer C),
--the girl who sleeps with the married guy because she thinks he is going to leave his wife for her (Scarlett),
--the guy who is a complete idiot, getting married because he's too much of a coward to not get married when he doesn't want to just b/c he doesn't want to hurt his college sweetheart's feelings and feels like he "should" after being with her so long (he's been in stuff and he's HOT, but don't know his name),
--and...SPOILER ALERT--DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT AND PLAN TO...the guy who says he doesn't want to get married, and then decides he will do anything to make his beloved happy, including getting married.

My problem with this movie is that, if you've read the book, you know the entire point the authors make is that if a guy isn't doing X, Y, and Z, he's just not that into you. Hence the name of the book. The problem is that several of the storylines give you that feel good ending leading you to falsely believe that these fairy tales do come true. Now, I know the book and movie often have major differences, but you shouldn't change the entire premise.

Still worth going to see...though waiting for DVD isn't a bad thing to consider on this one.

"W" (3 stars)

Sliding flashbacks of George W. Bush's life while chronicling his presidency, this movie is probably more for those who are not big Bush fans, which I suppose these days is the majority of you, according to the polls. All the good Bush quotes came out, and I often wanted to cover my eyes or stop the movie for the awkwardness of it all. However, there were some poignant moments where I felt a new kind of sympathy towards W, and that he truly did what he thought was best for the nation.

If you are not a Bush fan, you might go ahead and see it soon in order to alleviate some of your doubtless frustrations concerning our most recent president. If you are a Bush fan, see it. There's nothing you didn't already know (or think you knew).

The Secret Life of Bees (5,000 stars)

This is my new favorite movie. I watched it twice in 24 hours. That little Dakota Fanning is a fabulous actress. I can't wait to see her career unfold. Queen Latifah, Alicia Keyes, and Jennifer Hudson round out the star-studded cast. My ONLY disappointment was that with so many talented singers in the cast, there was almost no singing in the movie.

However, I decided that perhaps they deliberately had them not sing in order to show us exactly how amazing their acting talent is. This movie allows the audience to peek inside the life of a teenage girl who has to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders during the turbulent 1960s. On a mission to discover her mother, she finds love with the Boatwright sisters and..ahem, a certain young gentleman.

Go see it. Log off your computer and run to the nearest video store.