THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

US, 2006, 110 minutes, Colour.
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, Simon Baker, Adrian Grenier.
Directed by David Frankel.

The Devil Wears Prada is a lightly ironic title that suggests there is something a little demonic about the fashion industry. This is an entertainment that is not meant to be taken too seriously. But we do need to note that the devil is in the title – and that should mean there is a moral in there somewhere. And there is.

Statistics tell us that most people enjoy living in the present, in the detail of the here and now. There are some people who live in their minds, intuitive types who may not be noticing what is going on around them – not only absent-minded but, we might say, absent-sensed! The Devil Wears Prada is definitely for those who are very sense-observant, who enjoy colour, design, costumes and décor. The intuitive types will just have to concentrate on the themes.

This is the fashion world. More specifically, it is the world of the fashion magazine which publicises design but also dictates to designers, decreeing what is in and what is out.

Let it be said from the outset, the film offers a huge and wide-ranging array of designer clothes that should satisfy the fashion-conscious. Why some of them are so acceptable and fashionable can be a mystery to the untrained eye!

The plot is a familiar one, the story of the dragon boss-lady who makes people’s lives a misery (and who never takes any responsibility for the ulcers, strokes, anorexia that her somewhat sadistic style of command produces in the stressed underlings). Into the boss’s life comes the amateur who can offer naïve criticism but who proves to be a whiz at managing and becomes indispensable. This is not giving the plot away. This familiar story gives its own plot developments away so that we are anticipating what is inevitably going to happen to boss and apprentice.

This time we follow the trail of the new graduate who wants to be a journalist, goes to an interview with the editor of Runway magazine and, despite not being able to spell Gabanna, is hired. She is played by the pretty and charming Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries, Brokeback Mountain) – with characters often inexplicably referring to her as fat! If she is fat, what is fat?!

Miranda Priestly, the editor whose every whim and command must be met – instantly – is played in a wonderful tour-de-force by Meryl Streep. She sweeps into rooms, throwing coat and bag onto a desk for an assistant to hang up, spills out orders that no one in their right mind could remember let alone achieve. But her frightened staff do. It is a pleasure to watch Meryl Streep most times, but this is a wonderful acerbic performance where her speeches always end softly on an upward inflection, ‘That’s all!’.

Stanley Tucci is a great character actor. Here he is a fashion snob but one who mellows to kindness. British Emily Blunt is the assistant determined to keep her job. Simon Baker is the charming New York socialite who charms our heroine before she sees through his superficiality. Adrien Grenier is her chef boyfriend who wouldn’t know an Armani from a Prada.

Oh, and the moral. Miranda Priestley is the devil character. She really takes on the diabolical role of offering temptations to people, offering them the world for their soul. Needless to say, our heroine is fascinated by the devil, drawn into this worldly maelstrom of busyness, arrogance and ‘the good life’ and who must see through it all and find her true self. This being a movie, of course she does.

1. An entertaining confection? An entry into the world of fashion? Fashion magazines? An affluent world? A world of power?

2. The New York City locations, the different neighbourhoods, the skyscrapers, the slick and the sleek world? The contrast with the ordinary world of Andy and Nate? Apartments, cafes? The contrast with the world of Paris, its glamour, the fashion world, the touristic Paris? The musical score, the songs – the breezy touch?

3. The world of fashion, popular with audiences, the visual impact, style, beauty? The range of clothes shown in the film? The way they were worn, by Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway? The models? Audience response, the catwalk, photo shoots?

4. Miranda Priestly and her philosophy of fashion, the long explanation to Andrea, Andrea and her lack of interest, lack of knowledge, being able to spell the name of designers she had never heard of? Miranda explaining cerulean and its choice, its influence in fashion, design, the process down to the ordinary shops – where Andrea shopped? Decisions and power about what people wear, whether they are aware of it or not?

5. Runway magazine, Miranda as editor, her power, dictatorial, the rapidity of her decisions, her staff in fear of her – the opening and her arriving early, everybody rushing to get things ready to meet her demands? Meetings of the board and their opinions, acceptance or rejection? Her own sense of design, decisions about fashions? The design for Holt – and her rejection? The costs of photo shoots, the manager of the company and his wanting to change the editor? The sponsors, advertising? The plans behind Miranda’s back?

6. Meryl Streep’s presence as Miranda? The image, reality? Her quick-wittedness, decisions, expectations, intolerance, her hard dealings with her assistants, instilling fear, accusing them of stupidity? Her Starbucks coffee, her meals, changing it on a whim? The demands for her phone calls, immediacy? Expecting everybody to understand and wear fashion? Her sadistic streak, the incessant phoning, ordering people about? Her manner – and ending interviews with, “That’s all”? Throwing her coats and bags on the desk – and the collage of this? The ritual for bringing the book to her house?

7. Miranda and Emily, Emily and British, being continually worried, interviewing assistants, putting them in their place? The job that anybody would kill for…? The immediate reactions to Andrea, her snobbery, her friends and their laughing? Her own mistakes, getting caught out,, missing the identity of the guest at the party, not going to Paris, on the phone and hearing the bad news, the car crash, in hospital, her spurning of Andrea? The end, Andy ringing to offer her the clothes and her condescending acceptance? Her praise behind the scenes of saying the new assistant had big shoes to fill?

8. Miranda and Andy, Miranda’s look at her, talk, the interview, Andy’s naivety, the challenge, laughing at things, Miranda taking opportunities to lecture her? Miranda using her, changing her? Calling her Emily, finally calling her Andrea? Her changing the coat-throwing to Emily’s desk? The book, going to the house, Andy and her overhearing the dispute between Miranda and Stephen, meeting the twins, their leading her into mischief? Having to collect skirts, doing all the messages, waking up early in the morning? The socials, the reception? Miranda and her always posing, yet being seductive, the demands about the Harry Potter manuscript and Andy one-upping her with the copies and the twins having them on the train? Andy and her deciding not to go under, the discussions with Nigel, his urging her to fight back, his initial snobbery, talking with him, urging her to change, redoing her fashions? Herself becoming a fashion plate?

9. The consequences for her friends, her relationship with Nate, his being a cook, at home, easy clothes, ordinary, mocking Miranda? Her friends and their meals, discussions? Her ordinary day – and her getting ready for work and the interview (and the contrast with the models and their meagre meals, their clothes, taxis)? Lily and the discussions, the gifts and their delight in them? At Lily’s exhibition – and Lily seeing her kissing Christian? The other friends, the breaking of the friendship, the changes, her being late for Nate birthday party? The cake with the candle? His being upset? The news about her going to Paris? Their breaking up?

10. Christian, his charm, turning up everywhere, flirting, at the reception and offering her the drink? The discussions about literature, sending over the stories? At the fashion show? At Lily’s exhibition? The issue of meeting the editor and Andy not meeting him because she wanted to get back to her friends? Christian in Paris, the night together? His revealing the plan about Jacqueline taking over the magazine from Miranda? His sitting at the table – and Miranda one-upping everyone and his dismay?

11. Andy, the work, the pressure, the effect on Nate, the exhibitions, actually making a decision about Paris – with Miranda insisting that it was hers? The divorce discussion, Miranda and her sadness, the twins, not caring what others thought about her, the press and public relations, wanting Andy to do her job? Andy supplying her with information about the change, and Miranda’s vanity?

12. Miranda and the politics of the editorship, the flashbacks and her dealing with Irv, with Jacqueline? The speech, the praise of Holt, the announcement? Andy and its effect the effect on Miranda, on Nigel?

13. Nigel, his confiding in Andy, his joy, the change in him from snob, to artwork, to talking straight to Andy, to delight in fashioning her? His accepting Miranda’s decision?

14. Andy, her return, the decision to leave Miranda, Miranda saying she was like her, going to the newspaper, the interview, the facts from Miranda, saying she was a disappointment but they would be stupid not to hire her? Andy seeing Miranda in the street, waving, Miranda getting into the car, the slight smile?

15. Nate and the future, his going to Boston? Andy, the relationship with her parents, friends? Fulfilling her dream as a journalist?

16. The title, Miranda as the Devil, the worldly temptation, giving up everything to worship fashion? Andy and the possibility of redemption?