The Devil Wears Prada

Sunday, October 29, 2006

year: 2006
directed by: David Frankel
written by: Aline Brosh McKenna, Lauren Weisberger
notable cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci
Paparelli's rating:

(0 = worst, **** = best)

Essentially this is a well-made movie, but the story in itself is too simple and not very realistic.

For someone just out of college trying to find her way in the cut-throat industry of international fashion, Andy has very, very easy time. People in real life tend to be much more vicious when it comes to protecting their jobs. Also, they tend to hide it better. Instead of just making faces while generally not harming you or your career, your real enemies would smile at your face and help you out, while trying to stab you behind your back.

Also, working for a boss which such a clear vision and purpose in her decision making would probably be a welcome change for many people. Any manager who stands up and takes that much responsibility like Streep's character does, generally is very nice to work with, as they also tend to allow for a large personal input in your daily job routine.

Another thing that appeared a bit strange is the moral judgment implied in the movie regarding these tactics. In real life, all industries work this way. Even working for the local post office you'll have a hard time as a newcomer, having to get coffee for everyone and always being the one to work late and weekends. That's certainly not unique to the fashion industry.

And besides these sub-genre elements, there's not very much of a story than the girl who has a hard time finding her way but who eventually succeeds. Talking about superficial...

What surprised me is that Streep's character is not the main character of the movie at all, like the title, previews and interviews suggested. It's all about the girl played by Anne Hathaway. Although that might also be part of the message this movie tries to convey (ahem, let's help them out a bit here).

But I have to be complete and fair: the production quality of the movie is quite high. Name actors, good photography and set decoration make it an enjoyable movie for seeing it together with a friend.