The Devil Wears Prada

Rating: 4/5

A movie that has reached a somewhat iconic status for romantic comedies, The Devil Wears Prada continues to be a fun and amusing film.

Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) has just graduated college, and dreams of being a serious journalist. Unfortunately, she can't seem to find a job, and ends up applying for an assistant position at a magazine that is a far cry from a job in hard hitting journalism. When walking into the offices of Runway magazine, she is met by Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt), who is first assistant to editor-in-chief of Runway, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep.) Andy is quick to notice that she doesn't fit into the world of high fashion, but knows that the job could open a lot of doors, so she pursues the interview anyway.

Much to Emily's and many other's shock, Andy gets the job. At first, Andy doesn't see the point of changing her style in order to match her work environment, but when she is unable to get the respect she feels she deserves from Miranda, she decides she must update her appearance. With the help of the art director, Nigel (Stanley Tucci), Andy not only changes her sense of fashion, but her work performance as well.

The Devil Wears Prada is a rare film of its' kind, in the sense that it garnered two Academy Award nominations, one for the esteemed Meryl Streep. In all fairness, given her track record, Streep could do a commercial for Applebee's and get nominated, but her performance in this film is pretty great. Her character is icy and unforgiving, and Streep makes Miranda Priestly seem real, and not just a caricature of a viper woman who couldn't possibly exist. She gives her depth where one wouldn't expect to find it and unexpected humor with her relentless criticism of her employees.

Part of what is unusual about this film, is the fact that there are very few likable characters. Andy is supposed to be the heroine of the story, but her naivety towards the demands of the industry and susceptibility to being hoodwinked or wooed by temptation can make her to be a frustrating character at times. I will also never understand why the audience is supposed to be rooting for Andy's relationship with her boyfriend Nate (Adrian Grenier) to thrive. Personally, I have always felt that Nate was almost as rude to Andy as the women who work at Runway . It diminishes the supposed fight in Andy's character that she would stay in relationship with a person like Nate.

So, characters aside, what makes The Devil Wears Prada such a fun movie? It's the underdog story. With movies like this, it is almost guaranteed that the hero/heroine will triumph over adversity and come out on top. Even with the predictability, it is still entertaining to watch the film go through the expected benchmarks. You know the general idea of the outcome, just not how it is going to happen. To make their story differ from the others, The Devil Wears Prada makes the steps Andy takes to success be filled with colorful challenges like dealing with a barrage of insults to her personal appearance, and keeping up with the ever changing fashion industry. It also boasts a lot of great clothing montages, and that's always a good time.

There are many reasons this film is loved by many, and is definitely in part to how easy it is to rewatch. The Devil Wears Prada is a movie that I have seen more times than I can count and is honestly one of my favorite Meryl Streep performances. It is also a great exhibition of the comedic skills of Emily Blunt. The acting is what puts this movie above the rest of its' genre, and is also what makes it such an enjoyable film.