FILM REVIEW
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2
Rated PG-13
119 Minutes
Released May 1st
In The Devil Wears Prada 2, director David Frankel and Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna continue their story from the original movie released 20 years ago, The Devil Wears Prada. The world of these movies is high fashion publishing, and the hard copy magazine publishing business has undergone severe constrictions within those 20 years.
Frankel and McKenna don’t try to hide that hard copy magazines are struggling today under a completely upended communications environment. Frankel, who has had a solid career as a director with films such as Marley & Me (2008) and TV’s Band of Brothers (2 episodes in 2001) is uniquely qualified to bring a personal vision to this story, as he grew up in a household of journalists, which included his father, Max Frankel, longtime Executive Editor of the New York Times.
Even if you have no interest in fashion or journalism, the movie is worth seeing for the visuals of New York City, the dizzying aerial shots of buildings from awesome heights, and the often flamboyant and artistic décor in their apartments, offices, and hotel rooms. The drone-captured landscapes of Milan and Lake Como are breathtaking pictures worth the proverbial “thousand words.” One passage in the story includes a garden party at a mansion in The Hamptons that is attended by a Who’s Who of current high society and name-droppable entertainment notables, who are seen only at this party and not again in the film.
The cast inhabit this lush collection of backdrops as they struggle for survival in a cutthroat and rapidly changing industry. The illustrious Meryl Streep reprises her role as haughty “Miranda Priestly,” Editor-in-Chief of the fashion magazine, Runway. Anne Hathaway is “Andy Sachs,” who worked for Priestly in the original film, left to become a successful journalist, and has now come back to write editorials at Runway.
Stanley Tucci as “Nigel” is still, after all these years, the secret glue that holds the office together. He notes that Andy’s wardrobe may have fit in at her previous position at the newspaper, but it is completely lacking in a high-fashion environment. He sets her up with gorgeous outfits left behind after high-fashion photo shoots, and she spends the rest of the movie strutting in striking ensembles, dresses, and gowns. Emily Blunt rejoins the cast as well. Formerly another one of Miranda’s assistants, she now holds a high rank at Dior, and she seems to have adopted her ex-boss Miranda’s aura of superiority.
Some of the secondary characters are as interesting as the leads. Among the very large cast are Simone Ashley, whom you may remember as “Kate” from Bridgerton, or “Olivia” in Sex Education. She is Miranda’s new assistant, “Amari,” a quite different personality from assistants Andy and Emily in the original “Prada.” She’s grounded, quiet, confident, and poised, and commands more authority than the executives around her.
Many of the characters seem to be painfully reaching out to one another and never quite embracing each other’s feelings, except for Tucci’s Nigel, who is the heart of the movie. Streep gives the notoriously cold Miranda some well-hidden compassion and a touch of vulnerability in this movie. Hathaway’s Andy is still awkward and sensitive, even in maturity and success, which is endearing. Blunt’s Emily makes a delicious and mysterious villain – or not – as you’re never sure which side she’s on.
Helen Chen, as “Jin Chao,” Andy’s assistant, stands out as genuine. Lucy Liu has a great cameo, but I would have liked to have seen more of her character. Lady Gaga is seen in a superb performance, although she is not given a strong point in the storyline. Gaga is such a fascinating artist; she could have had more impact visually and narratively. Patrick Brammal as Real Estate Developer “Peter” is Andy’s love interest, but it’s hard to conceive what she sees in him, as he has too little time in the narrative to develop a personality. Many of the characters are given very little screen time, so it’s hard to identify with them.
Those who will appreciate this movie most are women who were just getting a foot in the door of their careers when the original film was released in 2006. This is about women who have careers they love and choose to keep them, the same as many of those who perhaps were just graduating when they saw the original movie.
It was smart of Disney Studios to release the film just before the May 4th Met Gala, which is now a worldwide fashion bellwether. Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt were both featured on the Gala Red Carpet in gorgeously creative gowns, though Meryl Streep did not attend, as she never does the Met Gala – “it’s not her thing,” reportedly. High Fashion, and our never-ending fascination with it, is a star of this movie. After all, what celebrities are wearing often IS the conversation.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com.
