Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Synopsis: Aspiring writer Andrea "Andy" Sachs has limited fashion knowledge but takes a personal assistant job at Runway magazine, believing it will look good on her resume and open doors. Her boss, Miranda Priestly, is notoriously demanding and abusive, quickly admonishing Andy for her lack of fashion sense and berating her for failing at the most impossible tasks. Andy sticks it out, however, and soon finds her footing and earns Miranda's trust. However, the long hours and constant phone calls threaten her relationship with boyfriend Nate and her other friends.
Who's in it? The movie stars Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Adrian Grenier and Stanley Tucci.
I think the thing that really drives this movie are the characters. Miranda (Streep) is a powerful female character who dominates her scenes and, while not the friendliest person, is still someone that is easy to respect, especially as the film reveals bits and pieces of her personal life and hidden struggles. Her early clashes with Andy (Hathaway) are memorable, including the lecture she gives her assistant about how fashion shaped her life even if she didn't know it did. This makes the later mutual respect more believable.
In addition to the stars, the supporting cast was just as important. Emily (Blunt) was an intriguing character - clearly feeling threatened by Andy but at the same time being fully professional while training her co-worker when she could have just as easily sabotaged her. Nigel (Tucci) was a great mentor, willing to tell Andy how it was while still willing to help her when needed. Her makeover/transformation did seem a bit too much like The Princess Diaries but at least Nigel's influence made it seem a bit more believable and justifiable.
The way the movie ends is both surprising and empowering, with both of the female leads coming away with what I would consider a win. There are surprisingly few movies that manage to do that.
As much as I try, I still cannot bring myself to like Andy's boyfriend, Nate (Grenier). Yeah, I sort of get where he was coming from, especially when Andy missed his birthday. However, he still comes off as a jackass, and it was hard to root for him.
Andy's other "friends" weren't any better, belittling her choice literally seconds after she gave them expensive gifts that were the direct result of her job. I'm not saying Andy was completely innocent, but the lack of support made it clear she probably needed new relationships. Would they have been as critical had she been pursuing a career in medicine and had to spend long hours at a hospital?
Final Opinion: Andy's non-work relationships are painful to watch but the overall movie is entertaining, with interesting and powerful characters and quite a few twists and turns. It's worth taking the time to watch.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other movies with strong female characters:
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