Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada

by Alex Bentley

It tops the summer blockbusters in regards to story and drama.

Okay, I don’t know the first thing about fashion. I couldn’t distinguish Gucci from Chanel with a gun held to my head, and I still have no idea why many women love purses so much. But the great thing about The Devil Wears Prada is that you don’t have to be an expert in such details to enjoy the wonderful repartee spread throughout the film.

Prada tells the tale of woe of Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), an idealistic journalist fresh out of Northwestern University looking for her big break. Almost inadvertently, she manages to land a supposedly plum position as an assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), editor-in-chief of the fictional magazine Runway. Priestly leaves a trail of trembling knees and shattered egos in her wake, but the naïve Sachs believes the job will just be a stepping stone to her ideal job.

Of course, Sachs falls prey to the demands of her boss and, eventually, the elegance of the world she now inhabits, straining relationships with her friends and family. What makes the transformation work, though, is that Sachs is always shown to have one foot in her old life, never fully giving in to a career she knows is not for her. Hathaway has had a rocky transition going from teenage idol to young adult star, but with Prada, she appears to have finally found the right balance. Her portrayal of Sachs goes back and forth between sweetness and shrewdness without ever seeming cloying or unbelievable.

The wordplay between Sachs and Priestly crackles throughout, mostly because of the outstanding performance of Streep. As Priestly, Streep digs into her bag of tricks and pulls out yet another astonishing piece of acting. While many may compare her to another silver-haired villainess, Cruella De Vil, Streep’s Priestly is far from one note. Streep has instilled in the role just the right amount of vulnerability, and when those weaknesses are exposed at perfect intervals, it’s a jolt to the system, and shows why she has been nominated for a record 13 Academy Awards.

While it’s definitely counter-programming to blockbusters such as Superman Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean, The Devil Wears Prada tops both of those films in regards to story and drama. The plot may revolve around high fashion, but the characters make that world interesting for even those who are sartorially challenged.

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