The story is your standard rags to riches, ugly duckling scenario. In fact I am beginning to see a career trend for lead actress Anne Hathaway that consistently puts her in these kinds of roles. Her character of Andy is a sweet girl, but she plays up being naïve a little too much in this film. It is sad to see her regurgitating her role from The Princess Diaries; I would much rather see her take on more ambitious roles as an adult (a la Brokeback Mountain.) But while this is something that we have seen in the past from Ms. Hathaway, her character is palpable and does not bring down the film in any way.
Meryl Streep’s performance, on the other hand, gives this film a character in Miranda Priestly that is as emotionally diverse as she is demanding. There is no one in the business that will ever argue that Streep is anything less than a superb actress, and she shows us why in this film. Her performance is predictably devious, dynamic, and ultimately the soul of a decent niche film. She has the ability to embody characters and make them come to life right in front of her eyes, and she does so splendidly with her white haired, Gucci wearing alter persona. For much of the film we can easily believe that someone like this really does exist in the world, and it gives us the creeps.
The major shortfall of a film like The Devil Wears Prada is in essence that it is strictly a niche film. Much like the book upon which it is based, it is a unique and private look into what really goes on in one of the worlds most demanding industries. Unfortunately though, the subject matter is relatively difficult to get into if you are not into fashion, journalism, or any combination of the two. On top of that, for all of us who are drawn to these niche films that at least sport a decent love story sub-plot, there is not much to praise. Andy’s love life comes into play, but it is so short-lived that we don’t have time to connect with her situation.
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