[Reviewed by Gary Cabana, The Reel Reviewer]
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
If you enjoy verbal baiting, ridicule, sarcasm, and humiliation of fashion victims, then you will be laughing from first frame to last (oh what a cast and what a hoot)!
3-1/2 stars (out of 4 stars) [(2006)USA/FOX/Rated PG-13] - (1 hr. 49
min.)
Directed by David Frankel
Screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna
Source: based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger
Lead characters/Cast
Miranda Priestly (Editor-in-chief of 'Runway' magazine) - Meryl Streep
Andrea 'Andy' Sachs (her new '2nd' asst.) - Anne Hathaway
Emily (Miranda's 1st asst./Andy's job trainer) - Emily BluntNigel (Miranda's right-hand man) - Stanley Tucci
Review:
"Everybody wants to be us." - Miranda Priestly
This movie could possibly run forever in fashion capitals like New York, Paris, Tokyo, and London, but it will be really interesting to see what simple rural folk think of this haute couture hilarity.
To be perfectly honest, I don't have a 'fashion idea', but as a New Yorker I do understand the machinations of fashion world addicts (fashionistas). And up till now I have underappreciated the 'glam-azon's view of the world.
Certainly this film proves without a doubt that designers can turn human beings into works of art ... well at least those that are willing to spend $100 for a scarf, $500 for a blouse, and much much more for the perfect pair of shoes (Jimmy Choo's are specified in the film).
But the perfection of this film is not so much the uncovering this private world behind the clothing racks, but in its international cast and their willingness to suffer the slings and arrows offered by their boss.
As played by Oscar-winner Meryl Streep, 'Miranda Priestly', the editor and chief of "Runway" magazine, is every employee's worst nightmare. She puts the 'D' in Demanding. Eschewing an over-the-top performance, Streep wisely extracts every ounce of loathing that her Dragon Lady can emit with each syllabic utterance as she dictates command after command to the many minions who must do her bidding on a daily basis.
"A million girls would kill to have that job!" -(Everyone Andy meets)
Thrown into this chaos is the innocent, 'fat' (size 6), and eager replacement assistant who goes by the name of 'Andy'. Winningly played by Anne Hathaway ("Brokeback Mountain"), Andy is the perfect heroine that every non-fashionista in the audience will empathize with as she suffers insult after insult for her lack of style.
As you would expect, the plotline is one of transformation as the (not-so-)ugly duckling turns into a sleekly attired, woman of the world.
Is she being groomed to replace Miranda? Will she be lured away from her boyfriend by influential playboys? Can any chickflicker resist any of the previously mentioned implications? I think not.
As I said before, it's not the plot that matters as it's all STREEP, with some nice moments from Hathaway, Stanley Tucci ("Big Night"), and Emily Blunt as the employee trainer from Hell.
Lovers of office politics and the awful ways that co-workers can and do treat one another may want to return to the theater over and over again in much the same way that Depression era folks watched marathon dancers suffer greatly for the want of rent money.
You will laugh. Miranda commands it.
Will Oscar reward Streep for this? Probably not, so give her the gift of laughter and head down to this one ASAP - that means you too guys (your significant other will reward you for making the sacrifice).
Yup, that's right dudes, this is the 'dateflick' du jour!
"By all means, move at a glacial pace, you know how it thrills me so ." - Miranda Priestly
Supporting characters/Cast
Christian Thompson (the famous writer/seduces Andy) - Simon Baker
Nate (Andy's live-in boyfriend) - Adrian Grenier
Lilly (Andy's friend) - Tracie Thoms
Doug (Andy's friend) - Rich Sommer
James Holt (THE designer of the moment) - Daniel Sunjata
Serena (Emily's pal) - Gisele Bundchen (real-life supermodel)
Additional cast/cameos:
Stephen (Miranda's husband/one scene only) - James Naughton
Paul (Runway design team) - George C. Wolfe (famous Broadway director)
Cameos from the fashion world:
Heidi Klum (model); Valentino Garavani (designer); Bridget Hall (model), & Ines Rivero (model/'Runway' staffer)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soundtrack info (from IMDb.com)
Please note that songs listed here (and in the movie credits) cannot always be found on CD
soundtracks. Please check CD track details for confirmation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Suddenly I See" - Performed by K.T. Tunstall
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Jump" - Performed by Madonna
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Vogue" - Performed by Madonna (Paris/fashion show montage)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Bittersweet Faith" - Performed by Bittersweet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"City of Blinding Lights" - Performed by U2 (Paris/driving montage)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Crazy" - Performed by Alanis Morissette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sleep" - Performed by Azure Ray
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Beautiful" - Performed by Moby
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Diamond" - Performed by Klint
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Les Yeux Ouverts (Dream A Little Dream of Me)"
Performed by Beautiful South
(plays when Andrea and Christian have dinner in Paris)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Our Remains" - Performed by Bittersweet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"That's All" -Miranda Priestly
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
If you enjoy verbal baiting, ridicule, sarcasm, and humiliation of fashion victims, then you will be laughing from first frame to last (oh what a cast and what a hoot)!
3-1/2 stars (out of 4 stars) [(2006)USA/FOX/Rated PG-13] - (1 hr. 49
min.)
Directed by David Frankel
Screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna
Source: based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger
Lead characters/Cast
Miranda Priestly (Editor-in-chief of 'Runway' magazine) - Meryl Streep
Andrea 'Andy' Sachs (her new '2nd' asst.) - Anne Hathaway
Emily (Miranda's 1st asst./Andy's job trainer) - Emily BluntNigel (Miranda's right-hand man) - Stanley Tucci
Review:
"Everybody wants to be us." - Miranda Priestly
This movie could possibly run forever in fashion capitals like New York, Paris, Tokyo, and London, but it will be really interesting to see what simple rural folk think of this haute couture hilarity.
To be perfectly honest, I don't have a 'fashion idea', but as a New Yorker I do understand the machinations of fashion world addicts (fashionistas). And up till now I have underappreciated the 'glam-azon's view of the world.
Certainly this film proves without a doubt that designers can turn human beings into works of art ... well at least those that are willing to spend $100 for a scarf, $500 for a blouse, and much much more for the perfect pair of shoes (Jimmy Choo's are specified in the film).
But the perfection of this film is not so much the uncovering this private world behind the clothing racks, but in its international cast and their willingness to suffer the slings and arrows offered by their boss.
As played by Oscar-winner Meryl Streep, 'Miranda Priestly', the editor and chief of "Runway" magazine, is every employee's worst nightmare. She puts the 'D' in Demanding. Eschewing an over-the-top performance, Streep wisely extracts every ounce of loathing that her Dragon Lady can emit with each syllabic utterance as she dictates command after command to the many minions who must do her bidding on a daily basis.
"A million girls would kill to have that job!" -(Everyone Andy meets)
Thrown into this chaos is the innocent, 'fat' (size 6), and eager replacement assistant who goes by the name of 'Andy'. Winningly played by Anne Hathaway ("Brokeback Mountain"), Andy is the perfect heroine that every non-fashionista in the audience will empathize with as she suffers insult after insult for her lack of style.
As you would expect, the plotline is one of transformation as the (not-so-)ugly duckling turns into a sleekly attired, woman of the world.
Is she being groomed to replace Miranda? Will she be lured away from her boyfriend by influential playboys? Can any chickflicker resist any of the previously mentioned implications? I think not.
As I said before, it's not the plot that matters as it's all STREEP, with some nice moments from Hathaway, Stanley Tucci ("Big Night"), and Emily Blunt as the employee trainer from Hell.
Lovers of office politics and the awful ways that co-workers can and do treat one another may want to return to the theater over and over again in much the same way that Depression era folks watched marathon dancers suffer greatly for the want of rent money.
You will laugh. Miranda commands it.
Will Oscar reward Streep for this? Probably not, so give her the gift of laughter and head down to this one ASAP - that means you too guys (your significant other will reward you for making the sacrifice).
Yup, that's right dudes, this is the 'dateflick' du jour!
"By all means, move at a glacial pace, you know how it thrills me so ." - Miranda Priestly
Supporting characters/Cast
Christian Thompson (the famous writer/seduces Andy) - Simon Baker
Nate (Andy's live-in boyfriend) - Adrian Grenier
Lilly (Andy's friend) - Tracie Thoms
Doug (Andy's friend) - Rich Sommer
James Holt (THE designer of the moment) - Daniel Sunjata
Serena (Emily's pal) - Gisele Bundchen (real-life supermodel)
Additional cast/cameos:
Stephen (Miranda's husband/one scene only) - James Naughton
Paul (Runway design team) - George C. Wolfe (famous Broadway director)
Cameos from the fashion world:
Heidi Klum (model); Valentino Garavani (designer); Bridget Hall (model), & Ines Rivero (model/'Runway' staffer)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soundtrack info (from IMDb.com)
Please note that songs listed here (and in the movie credits) cannot always be found on CD
soundtracks. Please check CD track details for confirmation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Suddenly I See" - Performed by K.T. Tunstall
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Jump" - Performed by Madonna
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Vogue" - Performed by Madonna (Paris/fashion show montage)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Bittersweet Faith" - Performed by Bittersweet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"City of Blinding Lights" - Performed by U2 (Paris/driving montage)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Crazy" - Performed by Alanis Morissette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sleep" - Performed by Azure Ray
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Beautiful" - Performed by Moby
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Diamond" - Performed by Klint
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Les Yeux Ouverts (Dream A Little Dream of Me)"
Performed by Beautiful South
(plays when Andrea and Christian have dinner in Paris)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Our Remains" - Performed by Bittersweet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"That's All" -Miranda Priestly
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++