The Devil Wears Prada
I have to admit to you right now that I know diddly squat about fashion. So much so that I can wager all of my clothing probably has holes in it and are ripped right out of the teen angst wardrobe I loved so dearly. There are very few times I decide to whack on a dress and it is the same dress I have been wearing for years. Much like Marge Simpson with her posh discount dress, it’s seen so many combinations that if I were to ever attend a red carpet event, I would be ridiculed like there was no tomorrow.
Alas, I know exactly how Andy feels in The Devil Wears Prada. Starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, the runway movie focuses on fashion magazine Runway. Andy (Hathaway,) is hired as an assistant to the Editor in Chief Miranda Priestly. Andy has no interest whatsoever in fashion but believes it would be a stepping stone in her writing career. But what she finds is that Priestly is a bit of a megalomaniac and makes her work harder than she has ever worked before. Andy has to decide whether this imposition on her career and her life is worth it, while finding things crumbling down around her.
Why is it Bad?
It. Has. Been. Done. Before. While many people working in fashion will argue that it is the most accurate portrayal of the industry, it is nothing new to the adage that particular career choice is a difficult one. You have to look a way, dress a way and act a way, it’s something we all know. The Devil Wears Prada has that down but unfortunately, it is that message that is over used in this film making it bland. Not to mention that the film itself came out around the same time as Ugly Betty. So after a while, you may find yourself bored with Andy’s struggles to make it in a very high maintenance career and then screaming “oh god, we knooooow.”
Why is it Good?
Well, ok, Anne Hathaway is really endearing as well as Emily Blunt as the other assistant so aptly named Emily. But the real draw here is Meryl Streep who manages to play both boss and villainess with a discreet flare. Streep is incredible at Priestly who teeters careers and lives with just a purse of her lips. But she isn’t just an overpowered evil female villain (like they all are,) Priestly also has human moments and Streep makes this real and emotional. And let’s not forget everyone’s favourite actor Stanley Tucci as Nigel, the loveable character who helps transform Andy into the swan she is.
It’s sometimes sloppy, sometimes genius but more importantly, it is very heart warming and funny. If you like fashion, it definitely worth a punt and even if you don’t the amount of sass that fills this film is so big that it will drag you in, get you laughing and you will be enjoy it from moment to last despite the sometimes slow plot.
TTFN
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