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2006
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THE
DEVIL WEARS PRADA
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STARRING:ANNE
HATHAWAY,MERYL STREEP,EMILY BLUNT,STANLEY TUCCI,ADRIAN GRENIER,SIMON
BAKER,TRACIE THOMS,RICH SOMMER, DANIEL SUNJATA
BASED
ON THE NOVEL BY LAUREN WEISBERGER
SCREENPLAY
BY ALINE BROSH MCKENNA
PRODUCED
BY WENDY FINERMAN
DIRECTED
BY DAVID FRANKEL
GENRE:COMEDY/DRAMA
RATED:AUSTRALIA:PG/UK:PG/USA:PG-13
RUNNING
TIME:109 MIN
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Andrea
'Andy' Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is a recent college graduate and aspiring
journalist. To make ends meet, she applies for a position at top selling
fashion magazine Runway as the second assistant to the notorious Editor
in Chief, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Hopelessly naïve and
oblivious to the world of fashion, Andrea is surprised to find that
Miranda has taking a shining to her and is subsequently hired. Struggling
with the over the top demands of her new boss and scrutiny of her
fellow employees (including that of fiery first assistant Emily played
by Emily Blunt), Andrea conforms to the realities of the fashion industry
and with the help of head stylist Nigel (Stanley Tucci) transforms
herself into the thing she loathes, in the process alienating her
family, friends, and boyfriend Nate (Adrian Grenier). Meanwhile Andrea
must contend with the advances of fashion journalist Christian Thompson
(Simon Baker).
A movie in the vein of Wall Street and The Devils
Advocate (but directed towards a female audience), The
Devil Wears Prada contains fine performances and a witty script,
yet had me seeing red over the treatment given to Andrea, the films
lead character played well by Anne Hathaway. A smart and resourceful
woman, Andrea is constantly taunted by the snobs who work with her
with some even going so far to state that she is fat even though she
is a slim six. Of course this is to be expected in such a shallow
industry.
The head protagonist is the dreaded, feared ice queen Miranda Priestly
played by the exquisite Meryl Streep who gives an excellent, scene
stealing supporting performance. With a character such as this Streep
could of easily given an over the top interpretation of evil incarnate
(much like her performance in The Manchurian Candidate),
yet she wisely approaches the role in the other direction. Her voice
is at a low controlled pitch, her demeanour ice cold, hardly cracking
a smile. If I could make a comparison, I would say that Priestly is
to the fashion world what Gordon Gekko is to Wall Street. Both are
at the top of their profession and will stop at nothing and no one
to get what they want. If there was one thing that I did not like
about Streep's performance it was the effort given to make Priestly
a sympathetic character. While the plot device of having her character
go through a divorce (the characters second) may work in showing how
the demands and stress of work can (and will) affect your personal
life, it did not make this viewer harbour any sympathetic feelings
what so ever.
British actress Emily Blunt (who Streep called the best young actress
working today) gives a memorable performance almost stealing the movie,
while Stanley Tucci is also very good and should receive plaudits
for not playing a gay caricature.
The fashion industry is not the basis for many films (the only others
I can think of are Ben Stiller's fashion spoof Zoolander
and Robert Altman's Prêt a Porte), and
I doubt that The Devil Wears Prada will buck the trend. I would
recommend this film for anyone that's remotely interested in fashion,
and if that's not your cup of tea than the performances alone will
secure a good night in. |
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