|
"Is My Gucci Thong
Showing?" |
 |
Directed by David
Frankel - Written by
Aline Brosh McKenna,
Lauren Weisberger
Starring Meryl Streep,
Anne Hathaway, Stanley
Tucci, Adrian Grenier
Distributed by 20th
Century Fox - 2006 -
106mins - Rated PG13 |
| |
|
"The Devil Wears Prada" is fashionably funny... |
| |
There are two
storylines in "The Devil Wears Prada," a sparkly, witty and frequently
funny film loosely based upon Lauren Weisberger's year working as an
assistant at Vogue magazine.
The first storyline is utterly brilliant, perhaps mainly because it
features an utterly brilliant performance by Meryl Streep. Streep so
convincingly becomes Miranda Priestly, the god-like editor of "Runway"
magazine, that when Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) somewhat unknowingly
stumbles upon her altar the events that unfold are cruel, hilarious,
insightful, scary, damn scary and constantly, amazingly real. This
first storyline is brilliant because it takes the audience inside the
very real world of the cutthroat, ruthless and frighteningly fluid
nature of the fashion industry and shows us its strengths, weaknesses,
moral ambiguities and, ultimately, its twisted moral righteousness. We
see the psychology behind a world where people change as quickly as
fashions, and where selling one's soul is practically imperative for
survival.
In this storyline, we are introduced to Andy, a naive, rather
fashionless but intelligent young woman just graduated from
Northwestern University with grand visions of a life in journalism.
When she arrives at "Runway," it is clear, fantastically clear, that
she is out of her element. Her initial encounter with Miranda's first
assistant (deliciously played by an appropriately smarmy Emily Blunt),
is one of uninvested condescension. It is as if this young assistant
has learned the necessary routines for survival, but isn't
particularly invested in them.
From her first moments onscreen, Meryl Streep literally exudes a
devilish aura. Yet, much like the "Devil" on which she is based,
Streep's Miranda is infinitely watchable, enticing, seductive and
nearly impossible to resist. Streep's Miranda is worse than the "boss
from Hell"...she's that "boss from Hell" who is such a master that you
find it impossible to stop working for them.
Streep, who will most certainly garner a Golden Globe nomination from
this performance, is frightening here because she didn't take the easy
road to her portrayal of Miranda. The easy road, as somewhat more
portrayed in Weisberger's novel, would have been a shouting, whining,
hypercritical boss who openly and viciously attacks. These kinds of
bosses certainly exist (Weisberger's boss is rumored to have been this
way), however, the truly frightening boss is different.
Streep's Miranda possesses a sort of frightening righteousness
befitting the most evil of cult leaders. Streep's Miranda controls
rather than attacks, speaks in hushed, seductive tones rather than
shouts, and lays out her expectations so clearly that her employees
find it impossible to argue with them. Quite simply, Streep's Miranda
is nothing short of comic brilliance. It is important to note that the
cinematic version of Miranda is a slightly more humanized, revealing
portrait than the literary Miranda. That Streep reveals this humanity
without losing her evil is, perhaps, the greatest testimony to the
brilliance of Streep's performance.
Streep is surrounded by equally righteous Andy, her assistants, and
her lead designer (a very nearly scene-stealing Stanley Tucci).
Perhaps the only weakness in this storyline lies in the presence of
Christian Thompson (Simon Baker), a "seductive" writer who serves to
counter Andy's plainer, supposedly more morally grounded boyfriend.
While Baker is fine here, the character feels awkwardly out of place.
The resolution, ultimately, is unsatisfying and only minimally
addressed.
This first storyline works brilliantly because it focuses on Andy's
struggle to survive, in essence, within this foreign culture. She is a
fish out of water, and watching her learn to swim upstream is
insightful, scary, funny and constantly entertaining.
Had "The Devil Wears Prada" stopped with this storyline, we would most
definitely be looking at the best comedy in years. Unfortunately, in
remaining somewhat faithful to Weisberger's novel, director David
Frankel seeks to provide a background storyline about Andy involving
her loyal, seemingly plain boyfriend (Adrian Grenier), her small
circle of friends and her family.
These scenes, unfortunately, are both underdeveloped and, at times,
unconvincing in painting the desired picture of a young woman with
strong moral values who becomes seduced by "the dark side" only to
return to her values wiser with greater insights.
In a film that feels remarkably free and expressive, these scenes feel
stifling and restrictive. The chemistry between Andy and her boyfriend
is casual at best, and the ending, in particular, betrays Andy's
return to a moral grounding. Grenier, however, performs his role
admirably and gives life to a character that could easily have been an
afterthought.
It is, however, this relationship that bothered me most as I left my
screening of "The Devil Wears Prada." Clearly, by the end of the film
we are led to believe that Andy's moral center is best served by her
relationship with her boyfriend. This relationship struck me as the
typical young adult, "me" centered relationship that typically ends
when one person in the relationship stops meeting the other person's
needs. It didn't feel that vastly different from Andy's relationship
with her boss, thus when she reconciles with the boyfriend and,
ultimately, agrees to do what he wants it feels as if she's betraying
the very lessons of empowerment she supposedly learned by working for
"the devil."
Fortunately, the second storyline for "The Devil Wears Prada" is, by
far, the lesser one. The vast majority of screen time is offered to
Streep and Hathaway living out a hilarious, authentic and insightful
expose' of the fashion world.
If looks can truly kill, Meryl Streep's Miranda may very well be the
fashion industry's most notorious serial killer. Behind Streep's comic
tour-de-force, David Frankel and his entire cast may very well have
fashioned themselves this summer's first comedy blockbuster! |
| |
|
© Written by Richard Propes -
Email Me! |
TC Candler's Comment
Streep is
getting a lot of attention for her role... but
it is the innocence, naiveté, intelligence, wit
and charm of Anne Hathaway's character that
really makes this film tick. She isn't
just skyrocketing up the Hollywood A-List -- She
is already at the top of the game and ranks as
one of the absolute must-see actresses in movies
today. Everything she is in turns to gold.
"The Devil Wears Prada" is one of the most
light-heartedly entertaining films of 2006.
Jacob Hall's
Comment
n/a
|
