Material Girls

Teen actress Hilary Duff is joined by singer sister Haylie for this saccharine romp about two rich siblings who have no idea about real life. None too stretching, perhaps, but the Duffs fail to create sympathy for their heiress characters, whose journey to enlightenment peaks at the realisation that flat shoes are more comfortable than heels. Discovering their assets are suddenly frozen, the sisters are forced to take the bus and share a room in their cleaner’s flat – situations far more harrowing than being dumped by fiancés and facing financial ruin, apparently. Were the actresses truly prepared to send themselves up, amusing satire might have emerged, but it’s too much to expect us to like these idiotic girls who transform butch prison prostitutes into preening pussycats with their patronising advice on exfoliation. Co-stars Anjelica Huston and Lukas Haas attempt to rise above it all, but you can almost feel them wincing at the confused tone and risible dialogue. The misplaced dark humour will likely leave tween audiences just as bemused.