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She's So Good With Her Stiletto
When a book is turned into a movie, there are, more often than not, considerable cuts to make. Multiple background characters are sometimes rolled into one sidekick, main character histories are glossed over in favor of starting in media res, and motivations are explained on the fly to make way for plot advancement. From what I understand of Lauren Weisberger's "The Devil Wears Prada," the opposite tactic was used in readying the story for the screen; the most used adjective describing her book is "glossy," as if there's not much beneath the high sheen of what's on the page. The film adaptation, while keeping much of the veneer that I assume the book has, is not quite as shallow as it lets on, and the added depth lets the actors, particularly genius Meryl Streep, a chance to breathe in their roles.
Streep plays Miranda Priestly, the all-business editor of top fashion magazine "Runway;" in the world where fashion is king, Miranda is the ice queen. Coming on board at "Runway" as one of Miranda's assistants is Andrea (Andy) Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a fashionless would-be journalist who only takes the job for networking opportunities and the lack of any other job in New York. Andy is initially overwhelmed by the job and the fact that she's completely out of place in the world of undersized waistlines and oversized eyewear, but with the help of one of the magazine's editors (Stanley Tucci as Nigel), she gets a new look and the confidence to succeed. As the demanding Miranda gives her more responsibility and pushes her to choose work and fashion over everything else, though, Andy begins to feel the strain in her relationships with her friends and live-in boyfriend (Adrian Grenier).
The majority of the movie is pure mindless fun: Miranda sends Andy on impossible tasks like securing the manuscript for an unpublished Harry Potter book, in a montage heaps her various coats and bags on Andy's desk (and later walks by unaccessorized but still says "coat, bag"), and is generally the overbearing boss who drives young naive girls in Andy's position crazy. Streep is divine in the role, breezing into the frame, chewing all available scenery, and leaving before anyone can assess the carnage. She is perfectly cast, even adding the necessary dramatic touches when things inevitably go wrong for Miranda, teaching Andy a lesson about what it's like to lead life handcuffed to your handbag.
It would be easy for Hathaway to be left in Streep's wake, but she holds her own, showing off her acting skills as Andy goes from clueless fashion disaster to Miranda's Frankenstein monster made up of genuine Italian silk and too many hours at the office. The supporting actors, especially Tucci, add a great bit of comedic flair to the whole enterprise.
Director David Frankel, who knows the genre after having directed a few episodes of "Sex and the City," paces the action nicely, letting all the right things sink in and timing all the jokes perfectly (especially the "coat, bag" which still kills me). Like this book, The Devil Wears Prada isn't the kind of film that will stick with viewers much longer than the time before the next movie they watch, but thanks to everyone involved, the time spent in the theater is certainly a blast, making Prada one of the most successful comedies of the year so far.
Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5
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sjuhawk31) wrote,
