The
Devil Wears Prada (2006)
A FOX
2000 Pictures Film
Directed by: David Frankel
Starring: Meryl Streep (Miranda Priestley),
Anne Hathaway (Andy Sachs), Stanley Tucci (Nigel),
Simon Baker (Christian Thompson), Emily Blunt (Emily),
Adrien Grenier (Nate)
Running Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Review written on 11 August 2007
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...take a chance, hire the smart, fat
girl...
That would be Miranda Priestley's words
to Andy Sachs after Andy completely disappointed her when
she couldn't get Miranda a flight out of Miami during a hurricane.
Yes, we have now entered the realm of the Boss From Hell.
The Devil Wears Prada, the film, was
based on the book of the same name that was a fictionalized
account of an assistant's trials and tribulations with the
editor of the fashion magazine, Runway. Unfortunately for
the assistant, Andy, the editor happens to be a hyper-high-maintenance
boss with absolutely no tolerance for anything but her wishes.
As Andy mentions in the movie, it's only noticeable because
the editor is a woman, because (and I honestly agree with
this) if it were a man, no one would even be taking notice.
Andy perseveres in her role though, as she knows that if she
can spend at least a year and survive here, she can earn a
recommendation to a magazine where she can really be a journalist.
But as Andy begins to be successful at her job, becoming not
only quite fashionable but also a very efficient and effective
assistant, her personal life suffers and her values begin
to change.
Yes, the story isn't Shakespeare, but
it certainly is as entertaining! The performances by the actors
are more than worth the time spent watching this movie. Meryl
Streep is nearly unrecognizable as Miranda Priestley - her
mannerisms such as her disapproving pursed lips, the "That's
All..." brush offs, and complete absence of happiness
- completely immerse you in Andy's hellish world. Anne Hathaway
plays the tortured assistant very well, but doesn't get to
have the scenery-chewing roles as Meryl Streep or for that
matter, Emily Blunt. Ms. Blunt plays strangely enough, Emily,
the First Assistant to Miranda, and is just as rude and disdainful
to Andy as Miranda. Yet what makes this role so awesome is
the British accent and complete bitchiness of Emily. You'll
have to see it for yourself, but she is definitely a piece
of work.
Yet for this just being a comedy about
a situation that most everyone in the working world has gone
through (and which of course helps you enjoy the movie that
much more), there was one aspect of the movie, near the end,
which I always get annoyed at while watching. This part is
at the point of the movie when Andy 'learns her lesson'. She
'finally' realizes that she's been sacrificing her soul and
friends and family for her career and realizes that's just
bad. Most people rub it in her face too. "How could you
be like that?????" Okay, WTF? It's made clear up front
that she was going to do this for a year so she could write
her own ticket to any magazine/publication she wanted afterwards.
Yes, she ended up sacrificing a lot of her personal life for
her job, but she became quite GOOD at her job and began making
a seriously large network of contacts. She was quite successful,
and she was paying a price for it. But don't all professionals
have to suffer at the beginning? Her friends had jobs with
set hours - so they couldn't quite understand Andy's pain
- but that didn't stop them from being unsympathetic to what
she was going through. I guess I just get annoyed that the
movie makes ambition seem to be a completely bad thing. After
a year, everyone was going to get their Andy back. But no,
that would be too much to give up for them. Andy needs to
stay sweet and goofy and woefully unpolished! Okay, I'm starting
to just type thoughts now...basically, that little 'message'
at the end annoys me. Andy was doing what she needed to do
for her career - leave her alone!
Anyways, a very enjoyable comedy set
in a very beautiful, hip, and sophisticated location: New
York City and the Fashion industry. Very cool.
Scenes to Remember:
Miranda's first arrival at Runway; Miranda's brief yet demeaning
explanation of the fashion industry to Andy; Getting Harry
Potter 7... a year early; A surprise recommendation.
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Audio Commentary w/ Filmmakers