Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada isn’t the world’s best movie, but it is certainly entertaining. As always, the book is better than the big screen translation, but Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci give us our money’s worth.

The storyline is similar to that of the new hit show Ugly Betty, where a young girl becomes the unlikely assistant to one of fashion’s biggest magazine editors, Miranda Priestly. Where Ugly Betty makes the girl a dodgy choice in appearance, Anne Hathaway’s looks never make her unseemly. The film's biggest problem is everyone at the magazine criticizes her for her appearance, while she’s just as tiny and attractive as they are. She simply lacks a sense of fashion. And that’s where Stanley Tucci comes in. His Nigel helps Hathaway’s Andy learn to appreciate her job while giving her a leg up on finding out what style really is.

Emily Blunt plays Miranda’s first assistant, the sort of bitchy one that has a false sense of entitlement, especially when it comes to Andy Sachs. Emily has been around working her way up the ladder and dresses the part of a powerful fashion icon, but she seems to be overlooked. Unfortunately, Andy proves her worth and quickly climbs past Emily on the ladder to success. But what is the cost of success?

The answer seems to be the biggest point to the movie as Andy neglects her family and friends to the point of losing the ones she loves. As she advances in her career, she begins to notice that who she needs to become to stay on that path isn’t who she is, nor who she wants to be. I personally had a problem with how rude Andy’s friends were over her dedication to her job. I understand the need for balance between one’s professional and private lives, but I think this point was pressed to the point of being extreme. If I found out someone even considered skipping a pivotal moment in their career over a birthday party, I’d be upset. Moments like that are one in a million, birthdays are every year and can be celebrated at any time.

Beyond the jabs at Andy’s appearance as being too fat and her friends feeling neglected because she has a job, I really did enjoy The Devil Wears Prada. The acting is spot on and brings to life a script that could have easily gone dull in a heartbeat. Meryl Streep is a ruthless Miranda Priestly with comic timing to envy. Anne Hathaway is as adorable as ever, really nailing the naivety of Andy Sachs. But the supporting roles of Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci really give the film life.

Realistically, The Devil Wears Prada is the movie lovechild of Ugly Betty and Sex and the City. It has the bitchy and sexy edge of Sex and the City with the innocent charm of Ugly Betty.