Meryl Streep Makes the Devil Look Good
Meryl Streep doesn’t just make being devilish look good, she makes being diabolical look like the straight road to success. In the Devil Wears Prada, she takes totally ‘unsuitable’ assistant material in the persona of Andy Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway – and turns her into a fashion derring-do in less than a year.
This comedic drama, directed by Dave Frankel, with a screenplay adapted from the wildly successful novel, gives as many mixed messages as it does fashion pointers. For those of us who have worked in
Manhattan, not even necessarily in the fashion industry, but any industry, the shoe changing rituals of the working women in the film, as well as the designer bag envy will ring achingly familiar. To those of you who haven’t worked in the City, trust me, a good percentage of what you see on the screen screeches achingly close to the truth.
There were homages (or copies of thematic elements, take your pick) in this script to so many movies, I gave up trying to ID them – but suffice it to say that you will recognize themes and whole scenes from Pretty Woman straight on thru to the language cadences from the Godfather. Meryl Streep is delicious, delightful and yes, even a bit human, in the role of Miranda – the Czarina of the fashion magazine world. Streep manages to keep her character just on the edge of being a caricature, and once again, manages to transform herself into something unbelievably believable.
The movie shows how easy it is to get caught up in a job – and an industry – that chews thru people like a tax accountant thru Maalox. Andy thinks she has no choices, and realizes in the end, that we all have choices; it’s just that some are much harder than others. And sometimes the hardest ones are simpler than you think.
The day I saw this movie the house was packed with women – of all ages – and they loved this film. They oohed and ahhed not only over the plot but also the clothes and yes, the shoes and the bags. I do wonder if designer bags and their knockoffs will see an up tick in sales this summer. They certainly all got quite a bit of screen time, if you knew what to look for.
Overall, this movie was tre entertaining, sporting solid performances by Streep and Hathaway, along with a zesty supporting role by Stanley Tucci, who plays one of the major art directors on the mag, who ends up mentoring Andy thru her metamorphis and survival as Miranda’s assistant – only to find himself struggling to survive through a major career disappointment of his own.
A fun, summer flick, good for anyone, but most especially new grads looking to swim the shoals of entry level jobs this Fall. Rated PG-13 for some sensuality (a few shots of scantily clad models). Safe for anyone over 11 years of age. Probably not a good pick for very young boys, who will be bored. A good date movie. Three stars.
