Synopsis
Drama about a woman who works as a personal shopper in a glamorous department store who becomes seduced by the opulent lives of her clients, with devastating consequences.
2006 Directed by Marc Munden
Drama about a woman who works as a personal shopper in a glamorous department store who becomes seduced by the opulent lives of her clients, with devastating consequences.
Sally Hawkins Steven Mackintosh Daniela Nardini Noreen Kershaw Angela Murray Adam James Debora Weston John Westley Joanna Midgley Amy Lythgoe Jayne Ashbourne Andrew Readman Sally Moore Judith Vause Paul Warriner Diane Swan Maxine Burth Paul Dockery Martin Reeve Mehdi Bilal Ali Christine Cox Alan Rothwell Margaret Henshaw Alistair Richardson Michael Simmons Rebecca White
its tone has an after-school style condescension about it, especially concerning relationship abuse, was filmed on DV and looks like shite in some places, has an annoying score including radiohead aaaand... sally hawkins STILL owns this completely. and just look at that bob. nailed it.
As with the best traditions of single play drama dating back to The Wednesday Play and Play For Today, writer/director Marc Munden's 2006 TV film Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole In My Heart tackles a subject many have shied away from or haven't truly realised what an issue it is. That issue is the compulsion to shop, and its dark preoccupation is explored in the most unflinching and unsettling of manners.
Sally Hawkins gives a compelling performance as Nathalie, an attractive and successful young woman, married to dependable GP Jeremy (Steven Mackintosh). She works as a personal shopper in a glamorous department store, where she befriends a wealthy client, Maya (Daniela Nardini) who ultimately and unwittingly becomes her enabler in…
There have been countless films that tackle the world of addiction, such as drugs and alcohol but this film gave a rare look at the life of Nathalie (played by Sally Hawkins) who is addicted to shopping. One may think this would be a boring topic to divulge into but the character has such an addiction that it interferes with her daily life like raising her child and the downward spiral of her finances. This is a film about loss in many different categories, and how ones addiction can manifest into many other addictions as seen through the character of Nathalie. Of course, Sally Hawkins gives another emotionally charged performance definitely worth seeing.
This 2006 TV movie with Sally Hawkins and Steven Mackintosh (who I remember as The Street in Prime Suspect 5) about a woman with a variety of problems, the foremost of which is her shopping addiction, feels a bit like a dressed up after school special. It's very dim and shadowy, and there's a little too much heavy music. But hey, it's Sally Hawkins, and if you're looking for something to watch that isn't bad but isn't too taxing, either, this could work for you.
Decent BBC drama about compulsion, addiction and the rot it induces.
Clunky in places. Sally Hawkins elevated this, unquestionably.
A scene towards the end made me think this would have worked so much better with non-actors and improvisation like a Loach or Leigh.
I hope this pushed some people to get help, when it was aired.
My free viewing of this film on tubi was made possible by the many credit card commercials it was interrupted by. How ironic
I love stories of addiction, especially such self destructive hopeless addiction as in this. The characters’ addiction is made even harder by a world that encourages it.
I’ve seen a movie like this a long time ago—something with a little budget, little artistic exploration, whose script isn’t particularly good, but something that has a very specific goal, a very clear idea of what it wants to communicate. It’s a movie you’d find on TV, on a Tuesday morning when everyone should be at work. It has a minimal audience.
And yet... it’s something that remains with you, something you think about every other month. It’s become tethered to your brain for no indiscernible reason.
There’s a strange sensuality about them—not their content or production, but it’s something about the experience of watching them, as if there’s no reason you should. You’re alone with your TV and this…
A deep movie about the cruelty of consumerism but most importantly; the harsh realities of humanity and dark truths behind the value of friendships.
Beautiful cinematography and outstanding performances, Sally Hawkins just runs the show as always.
Oh Lord. Oh Lord. The lies we all tell ourselves.
Please note this film should be rated higher but I just found the content narratively dark (Shit was deep as a MF) and lacked symbolism I guess if I’m being picky.