The Devil Wears Prada
I think I need to write about films that I actually want to say something about to get over it. After brooding over a review of “Barbarella” for several days, I came to the conclusion that I approached the problem from the wrong position. I thought I should start with a review of a bad film to get back into the groove, a film for which I am not worried about whether I do it justice or not. The result was that I had absolutely no idea where to start, and I was staring at the posting (which essentially only comprised some whining about my writer’s block).
What I actually needed was some content, something I actually wanted to say. Perhaps I should stop blogging about all films I see but only the ones I want to write about, but to some degree I am already doing that; I say less about films which either are so bad there is nothing to say, or they are the type that are very enjoyable but I cannot put the enjoyment into words.
“The Devil Wears Prada” is the exact opposite. I am not sure it is really a film you must see (unless you are a fashion victim in which case you will invariably love the film), but it is certainly a film I love to write about. I am not really a fashion victim but as all human beings who are attracted to men I take an interest in fashion. Of course the delicious outfits are one reason to see the film, and it makes me ask myself to which degree we can achieve that stylishness without losing 20 pounds and without breaking out wallets and ankles at the same time.
Unlike most reviews I am seeing, I believe that the film surprisingly is more than its surface. It’s not just there to show off beautiful clothing designs, and thankfully it’s not just dishing out nastinesses and gossip on the fashion world like the book does (from what I heard). I saw in the Wikipedia article how the film was sexist, but the truth is that this is the kind of world women live in. Almost every woman in a working environment with a bunch of other women will probably experience similar cattiness, and no matter in what kind of environment you live in, you are likely to have to make a choice between your job and your relationship. I live in a world where almost everybody would choose the job over the relationship, and more than anything, I see “The Devil Wears Prada” as a film which depicts that same kind of world. I’m not saying that the film is particularly realistic, most of its storyline is a fairytale in which she gets the Harry Potter book beforehand and basically has two guys vying for her attention despite being a pretty boring person. But the fairytale style of the plot details hide that we are dealing with fairly complex characters. Emily is able to change her mind about Andrea, Miranda is a woman who unsuccessfully tries to juggle her private life and her job and Andy is slowly turning into the exact opposite of who she really is (hence the outfit changes). The nicest deviation from the book in this film is how Miranda and Andrea finally come to an understanding with each other, an unspoken friendship almost. They are and always have been the same woman, except one of them still has a long road ahead of her. I felt a vibe of “All about Eve” here, which is about the greatest film ever about job-crazed women.
Of course I realize that this human connection between Miranda and Andrea is part of the recipe of turning horrible chick books into nice chick flicks. Take a good premise (i.e. a popular book), hire Meryl Streep, shave away all the unsympathetic gossiping, solve a relationship crisis and add some fundamental soul-searching into the story – and there you are, “Julie and Julia the Prequel”.
At the end of the day I admit that I have a weakness for stories about career women (even if the career is something as silly as working for a fashion magazine), and “The Devil Wears Prada” delivers all of it – realistic conflicts, brilliant visuals and a satisfying ending.
For the hail of bullets:
- Meryl Streep is perhaps deservedly one of the most beloved actresses out there, but in this film, I thought Emily Blunt was the best. Her neurotic, arrogant sigh is just the best.
- Speaking of Emily Blunt, somehow I think that her outfits do not look good on her. Don’t get me wrong, the outfits themselves are gorgeous but somehow I am just able to see Emily Blunt in leather jackets ever since I saw her as Queen Victoria. Nevertheless, I love her.
- “You don’t deserve them. You eat carbs, for Christ’s sake!” is my favorite line of the film (Emily Blunt, so lucky!) Maybe I need to stop eating carbs too, but you know, a single bite from a piece of bread fills my stomach as much as a full salad. I am not joking. Even more seriously though, the film has quite a few humorous lines, which makes it fulfill its job at a good comedy.
- There is this guy at Spiegel Online who loves Anne Hathaway. She is oh so cute and pretty, but mostly she was just lucky to have gotten roles in good films like Brokeback Mountain. I dislike her in a similar way as Amy Adams – ugh.