Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Merryl Streep
Directed by: David Frankel

Based off of the popular novel by Lauren Weisberger, this film had high expectations early in the season, especially since it hinted that the summer of 2006 was moving away from the studio’s usual strategy of blockbuster filmmaking and towards smaller, more independent fare that would hopefully keep the audiences coming in, even if Superman and Pirates of the Caribbean sank at the box office.
Plus, the Streep trophy always guarantees a certain amount of attention. Even if she is cast in a role which invariably ends up in the shadow of Hathaway’s character.

The Premise: Andrea, (Hathaway) has just received her undergraduate degree in journalism and moves to the Big Apple to pursue her dream, and as on-the-way job, lands a position as receptionist for Miranda, (Streep) Editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, one of the world’s preeminent fashion magazines. Andrea has no idea what world she has stepped into, and the movie follows her journey through realization, acceptance, and then eventual self-discovery that leads her down the right path.

The end.

So, having read that, you really don’t need to go see this movie now.

Sadly, this film plays out in such a formulaic, predictable manner, its really saddening. For a film that really did appear to be something deeper, this film ends up having no more breadth than Hathaway’s earlier films such as Ella Enchanted. The movie can only hope that its audience will be captivated enough by watching the dazzling world of haut couture whirl before them that they won’t think about anything else.

Sorry dear, I don’t even know how to spell Yves St. Laurent.

(Oh, I guess I do.)

De La Renta.

Hmmm…never mind.

This story has been told so many times before, I would never have thought that such a rudimentary re-telling of it would be done. The plot devices are predictable and cliché, and sadly the acting does little to deliver us from our misery.

Meryl Streep is, of course, great at what she does, playing the cold, distant and demanding Miranda (the Devil aforementioned.) Her role is minimal, certainly one of the smarter choices she certainly made with this film, making her character more elusive and curious than the others, which is a testament to her skill.

Anne Hathaway took a few years off from filmmaking after her earlier successes with the Disney empire to go to school and “grow up” a bit. A wise decision, but I think Ms. Hathaway still has some growing to do before she should attempt a role next to someone like Meryl Streep. Many of her mannerisms throughout the movie became overused and annoying, as though she was expecting her quirky smile and innocent charm would win us over. She showed no real depth of understanding for her role, which I can only mention because of her vicinity to Streep. Without her there, Hathaway’s performance would have to be evaluated differently, and of course, the entire tone of the movie would change as well.

If high fashion is something you enjoy, pay attention to, etc. then this is a fun film. One of the more fun clichés of the film is when Andrea gets set loose in the closet/warehouse to select a new wardrobe for work. What girl wouldn’t want the opportunity to wear thousands of dollars worth of clothing and accessories every day? I can see the candy-store appeal of that. But from an artistic standpoint, this film is boring and played-out. The only smart thing that director David Frankel does is to not needlessly run long, as so many filmmakers are doing these days. For light, enjoyable fare, let us leave the film while we were still enjoying it.

The Distressed Leather Handbag With Matching Belt and Shoes Grade: C-

T.