The Devil Wears Prada (2006) had wonderful characters – the elegant, tyrannical, Miranda Priestly, Editor-in-Chief of Runway fashion magazine, and her junior personal assistant Andy Sachs – a dramatic narrative arc, and an abundance of high fashion. In that film, fresh graduate and aspiring investigative journalist Andy initially struggled to cope with the outrageous demands of her boss in a job she didn’t really want, but she persevered, achieved success, acquired confidence, and in the process learned more about herself and the moral choices she needs to make. The sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, led by the same creative team – director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna (based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger) – confronts the same quandary as every sequel: what can be done with these characters now?
To a certain extent, their response has been – more of the same, and that is in part what makes the film work. The core leads all reprise their roles for the sequel, and although there have been some power shifts, the edgy tension between Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) and almost everyone, as well as the adversarial relationship between Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt) and Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) are an amusing delight, while Nigel (Stanley Tucci) contributes a much-needed warmth.
The past twenty years have been good for Andy Sachs, she is an established journalist at a serious paper, The Vanguard. But just as she collects an award for her writing, she and her colleagues receive text messages that they are fired. Serendipitously, Runway is facing a social media crisis for endorsing a fast fashion brand that relies on sweatshop labor, and media mogul Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman) hires Andy as features editor to save the day. Andy arrives at Miranda’s office gushing with excitement, only to realize that Miranda doesn’t remember her, and moreover, doesn’t want her there. Once more, Andy must prove herself to Miranda, and the dynamic between the two characters is just as satisfying as ever.
Meryl Streep is endlessly fascinating as Miranda, imbuing the character with serene superiority, tossing off fierce critiques in an ominously soft voice. Her expressions and physical presence are nuanced and eloquent, whether she is resplendent in a stunning red dress on the red carpet, maintaining a smiling facade despite terrible news, or the evil queen of her realm cooly telling Andy, “I will bide my time until you fail,” or hilariously exhausted by having to hang up her own coat. The character of Miranda is inspired by Anna Wintour, the legendary editor of Vogue, but Streep has created a new icon in Miranda. Anne Hathaway’s Andy is the perfect foil to Miranda, earnest, sincere, and charming.
The film touches on several current issues – the woes of the publishing industry, corporate takeovers, the whims of tech billionaires, and the dearth of affordable housing as older buildings are made over into luxury apartments. It also reflects the dilemmas and choices faced by women with demanding careers. Miranda is on her fourth marriage by my count, while Andy is still single, but has prudently chosen to freeze her eggs. As is appropriate, Miranda has the last word on the subject, saying, “I love working.” Although the crises, schemes, and intrigues of the sequel all strike a familiar chord, and the narrative arc lacks the emotional heft of the original film, it’s great fun spending more time with these characters.
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Director: David Frankel. Screenplay: Aline Brosh McKenna, based on character created by Lauren Weisberger. Camera: Florian Ballhaus. Editor: Andrew Marcus. Music: Theodore Shapiro; Cast: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, Patrick Brammall, B.J. Novak, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, Kenneth Branagh, Lucy Liu, Tracie Thoms, Tibor Feldman, Lady Gaga.
