Review of The Devil Wears Prada (2006) by Ben L — 09 Jan 2012

Nope, no good, you're not fooling anyone. I don't care what fancy little speeches they throw into this movie, I'm not buying the fact that any of this fashion nonsense is worthwhile. I'm convinced this movie was designed almost completely by women, and clearly for women. The problem is this movie just reinforces the fact that a woman's worth is wrapped up in her appearance. This is a damaging message that already destroys lives, and so making movies to give this message a national stage is just despicable to me.

If you could manage to isolate the plot from this agenda you might have a halfway decent movie that teaches a much more valuable lesson. Learning to properly prioritize work with the rest of your life is something that most people struggle with, and this movie presents a strong case for finding balance. The slow transformation that Andy makes from outsider to insider is presented convincingly, and so you can see how she ends up going too far.

Part of this is the great cast. Anne Hathaway is superb because she manages to make Andy still a likable character even when she slips into "the dark side." And, of course, Meryl Streep is so deliciously evil. Everyone can hate Miranda so easily, and yet at certain moments she portrays a form of strong vulnerability that you almost feel sorry for her. But the great acting can't carry the whole film, they still present a disturbing message that women who are unreasonably thin and expensively dressed are the only ones that are worthwhile.