Review of The Devil Wears Prada (2006) by Omar L — 19 Sep 2013

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to see a romanticized version of an abusive relationship, watch The Devil Wears Prada. In it, we see an educated young woman with good friends and a good boyfriend slowly seduced by an abusive authority figure in an industry that celebrates superficiality. The young woman is methodically separated from all sources of her former happy life until her entire personality revolves around pleasing her boss. Her friends and family do what they can to convince her that she is losing herself to this unhealthy relationship, but their pleas fall on deaf ears.

I wish that this movie was a parable about how people enter into abusive relationships, but I don't think it was intended that way. We are meant to feel sympathy for Meryl Streep's character because she's played by Meryl Streep, but there is nothing remotely redeemable about Miranda Priestly. In spite of the all around excellent performances by the cast, I felt sad and disturbed watching this movie, all the more so because I know that it's a favorite of many women I know. Did they enjoy it because they thought it spoke to the dangers of abusive relationships? Did they enjoy it because of the strong female characters? Or did they enjoy it because of the Jimmy Choos?