No Sympathy For The Devil

The Devil Wears Prada (4/5 stars)

First of all let me say straight out that you do not need to know anything about nor be interested in anything about fashion whatsoever to enjoy this movie. Infact it may even help if you don't and find the whole scene quite ridiculous like I do.

The movie, based on a novel by Lauren Weisberger, tells the story of a young woman named Andrea (Andy for short, played by Anne Hathaway) who has struggled to find a career in journalism in New York City and ends up applying for a job as the assistant of the fictional premiere fashion magazine in the world called Runway.

When walking in for the interview, we are first introduced to this world by the editor's other assistant Emily (played by Emily Blunt) whom is appalled that someone like Andy is applying for this job in the first place. She mocks her immediately; this is one part of the movie that is so great. The great absurdity of the characters in this movie is so pronounced when they viciously insult the beautiful Anne Hathaway for being fat of all things (apparently in their world anyone who wears anything more than a size 4 is, and while I don't know anything about sizes it must be someone who weighs about 80 pounds), and vilify her perfectly regular clothes. The narcissism and obsessiveness is written so well and acted out greatly by all the actors playing industry characters that you can probably appreciate it whether you are into that sort of thing (by knowing what they mean) or not (by seeing how absurd they are).

After this first encounter is where the movie gets really good though, as we meet the editor of Runway, Miranda (played by Meryl Streep). I can't say enough about how great she is in this movie (although she is great in just about everything she does). Her character is so deliciously mean, cold, selfish, and evil that I can't even believe that this is apparently based on a real person. However that gives the wrong impression, the real greatness of it is that she does not scream or yell but dishes everything out in such a calm and matter-of-fact manner. It says a lot about her talent when she can take such a drastic turn to this character from the down-to-earth simple radio show singer she portrayed in A Prairie Home Companion only about a month ago. Besides Meryl, the other people who particularly stand out are Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, who plays another employee at the magazine. Anne Hathaway is competant, but she exists really as a center of realism in a world of insanity, so it is the other characters in the movie who really stand out.

In any case, Andy's goal is to survive this job for one year, because this position is known to be a springboard for other opportunities in the publishing world. She lets herself be subjected to much torture and suffering from her new boss. Eventually, in an attempt to gain Miranda's approval, she begins to learn about the fashion world, dress better, and work ridiculously long hours, essentially becoming everything she hated from the start and alienating all of her friends. Even, to an extent, becoming similar to her boss. Eventually she gets over her temporary distraction and learns what is really important to her. Mentioning this doesn't ruin much, as it isn't hard to predict, the real strength of the movie isn't in knowing how it begins or guessing how it ends anyway, it is in the brutal satire in between.

I'd suggest you keep an open mind about this, I honestly did not think I would like this movie at all, I'm the farthest thing from the demographic that would be expected to, but it is great fun and finally a comedy this year that is actually on an adult level. Easily, easily, the best comedy of the year so far.