The Devil Looks Good in "Prada" by Homer Yen (c) 2006
This summer, I'm hooked on watching superheroes save lives. I'm hooked on watching cars race deliriously fast and furious. I'm hooked on pirates. And oddly, I am hooked on watching a self-absorbed fashion editor be about as mean as mean can be.
"The Devil Wears Prada" is a whimsical story (based on Lauren Weisberger's novel) about an idealistic journalism grad named Andy (Anne Hathaway) that comes to the big city in search of her dream job as an editor. Whatever she's hoping to find, it certainly doesn't come to her in the form of Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the powerful and punishing editor of Runway magazine. Her approval can launch careers. Her disapproval can just as easily end them. Sometimes, just being around Miranda is like the sound of scratching nails against the chalkboard. This experience, and Miranda, just gets inside of you in a viral sort of way. At least, that's what Emily (Emily Blunt), Miranda's first assistant, must feel like. Emily can't handle the demands all by herself, and Andy is hired on as the 2nd assistant.
On this note, Hathaway is a safe choice. If you've seen the "Princess Diaries" films, you would think that there's a slight lack of originality here. It's as if Hathaway finished shooting that film and just crossed the street to this studio already in the same mindset. When she arrives for her interview, she is a fashion disaster. Better selections could be found at Wal-Mart. She starts out with the in-need-of-some-styling hairdo, clothes that perhaps a bum wouldn't wear, and a few supportive friends. Then, great fortune is bestowed upon our doe-eyed heroine and she transforms. Her environment and her options change. Will she remain loyal to herself and shun the glamour or will she succumb to the allure of Hermes scarves and Jimmy Choo shoes?
Much of the fun is the look we get into the world of fashion publishing. It may look glamorous on the outside. Valentino makes a cameo appearance as does model Giselle Bundchen. But inside, it is nonstop feuding and jockeying for power. The up-close look at the inner workings of the industry provides a little bit of spice to this otherwise bland and formulaic film. The pinnacle of Miranda's year is Spring Fashion Week in Paris. The cameras capture the sexy allure of the City of Lights. But as one of Miranda's employees puts it, one day they'll go to Paris to actually go to Paris. This wise observation is uttered by Nigel (Stanley Tucci), the magazine's fashion director, who laments that they become slaves to a 24-hour-a-day business.
The real joy of the film is Meryl Streep who puts so much delicious meanness into her role that it's sure to garner an Oscar nomination (and at least a Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Comedy). It's a role to relish. She brings something memorable to the landscape of summer film characters.
"The Devil Wears Prada" has that I've-seen-it-before feel. But, it pops with energy and maintains a delightful tone. I guess "Prada" is always in fashion.
Grade: B
S: 1 out of 3 L: 0 out of 3 V: 0 out of 3
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