Patman

Just to get some relief from the summer blockbusters, I checked out some counter-programming with "The Devil Wears Prada" featuring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in a story melding the classic fish-out-of-water with a basically good person being tempted by the good life, in this case, a career in high fashion at the cost of stepping over some bodies to get ahead of the rat race.

Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly is a no-nonsense editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, a leading high fashion magazine, and while she is tough on her subordinates with strict standards and demanding expectations, Streep still allows just a bit of humanity to seep through her handling of Andrea (Anne Hathaway) and the choices that present themselves as Andrea progresses through her assignments, and the positioning of favored status in Miranda's eyes, at the cost of personal integrity. Andrea comes across as idealistic, and naive at the beginning of her career after college (through a stroke of luck and timing, finds her way into the 2nd assistant position for Miranda), but finds herself more and more entrenched in a world that she initially dismisses, and makes her question her own morals and decision-making process.

The film is a bit too easy on Andrea at times, as her ambition rarely truly fuels her ascent at Runway, but she's smart, seems amenable to playing the game after pushing that "don't care" boulder uphill one too many days and getting reprimanded as well. You can't help but root for Andrea, hoping she'll sidestep the landmines in her way, and remain true to herself, but the film's conclusion is not as satisfying as I had hoped, a little predictable, but still watchable for the performances of not only the leads, but the supporting cast as well.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

FantasticVSDoom

The wife wanted to see this one, but I have to say that I enjoyed this movie alot more than I thought I would...I agree that the end was a little bit off from the rest, and felt a bit rushed, plus I thought she didnt really have to "pay" for some of the mistakes she made. I thought Streep gave a pretty damn good performance and was the highlight of the film imo. Probably give the same grade, its a good bit of relief from all the summer hype right now.

movieking

I enjoyed this as well. I did a search on Prada a couple of times and didn't find it anywhere, and was too lazy to start a topic. I really liked Streep in this movie, as well as Stanley Tucci.

In a theatre of about 300-350 people, there were five guys, including me.

reubs82

My wife and I went to see this last week, and I thought it was alright. She has read the book, and evidently a great deal was changed. It's shameful, too, because the book sounds like it fleshed out Andy's friend circle a lot more and made her decisions much more harrowing.

Ginwen

My wife dragged me to see this. It wasn't bad. Not great but Meryl Streep was excellent, so it was well worth seeing for that.

clemente

That was my main gripe with the movie. The end is too convenient, its a movie, I could buy it if they put a little bit of effort into it, but they just up and decide to give us that particular ending with very little to back it up. And then everything falls into place for Andie.

It felt like Minority Report all over again.

But aside from that, it was pleasant, Streep was great, Hathaway's hot...but she had that naive thing going so she fell right into character.

B.A.

My wife and I thought it was alright - very cute during certain parts, but it felt very long and started to drag after the halfway mark. **1/2 out *****.

Streep and Tucci were good as always.

I always like to see Hathaway, but Emily Blunt really caught my attention.

marty888

A from here. Thoroughly enjoyable, definitely elevated by Streep's terrific performance.