It’s back! The twenty years since the first The Devil Wears Prada disappeared in the first scene of The Devil Wears Prada 2, now showing in theaters. Our reviewer found a movie that’s so much more than just glamour and drama.
Fashionistas rejoice! The Devil Wears Prada 2 brings the drip and pops the Glam. Bitchy barbs, eye rolls, and stilettos stomping about are in full effect. A steady flow of fabulously frocked celebrity cameos adds a touch of “Is that…?” fun. From the streets and spires of Manhattan, to the palazzos and piazzas of Milan – you are whirled through a world of flashing lights and strutting models.
Fast paced camera work whirls you through an orgy of fabrics, pouty faces, and skylines. If only the shots lingered a bit more – allowing the eye and mind to savor the fashions, landscapes, table settings, and luscious spaces. The Hamptons. Lago di Como. Alas, there is no lingering in this fast paced, harried world.
The clothing of both women and male characters expresses their inner world. Miranda mostly dons sleek, strong lines. Yet when she sports an almost laughable top adorned with tassels and bobs (Carol Burnett’s skit of Scarlett O’Hara in curtains came to mind), she communicates her self-assuredness. The look portrays her knack for arming herself with information she curates, from here and there, to weave her strategies to make her way through a world dominated by men. A complex and brilliant businessperson. (Or maybe I am just overinterpreting?)
Villainous Techbros don monotone polyblend uniforms; they speak to their focus on ROI and use AI to devolve humanity’s aspirations into soulless bits and efficient bytes that can be maximally profitized.
Opposing these sinister forces, Stanley Tucci’s Nigel wears close-fitting, perfectly tailored garb, beautifully blended weaves and colors in a classic look. His respect for, and adoration of, the handiwork and attention to quality is fully realized in the attention to his personal attire. AND in his commitment to Miranda and Runway magazine as forces for the betterment of humanity. He is totally committed to them both and willing to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortunes and behaviors inflicted on him by his Messiah, Miranda. The arc of his story is satisfying.
Strong performances are fun to watch and provide spine to the movie. Meryl Streep is perfection as the brilliant Ice Queen Miranda; she allows brief glimpses of her vulnerability before recrystallizing into a fortress of aloof dismissiveness. Anne Hathaway as Andy manages to remain believable as she navigates between her principals and being a back stabbing opportunist. Emily Blunt reprises the Emily character who shamelessly focuses on her own ambitions with a self-serving, yet short-sighted, plan.
Lucy Liu’s character is not provided the opportunity to develop beyond a stick figure of a languorous wealthy benefactress. Her ex is a narcissistic toxic Manosphere jackass, convincingly performed by Justin Theroux. And most detestable of all is the character played by B.J. Novak. His clueless disrespect for Miranda (and women as a whole) reveals the dangerous self-serving mindset of wealthy new elites. His humiliations of Miranda prompted an audible gasp from the theater goers. Tellingly, there is no undoing of him- worryingly for all us who value a world of human work and humane culture, he is triumphant at his exit from the story. No denouement or correction of his behaviors; unrepentant, no wiser, yet ever richer. Terrifying.
Tugging at The Devil Wears Prada 2’s flashy superficial threads a bit, new thoughts unravel…
Surprising to this viewer is the dive the film takes into AI and big business. It surfaces serious, profound issues of where modern society is heading. Will the ateliers where handmade clothing is an art form composed of natural fabrics raised on farms and fields, directed by human vision, survive the AI Anschluss? Will the relentless press toward bottom line revenues replace that with petro-based fabrics fabricated by robotic factories? Will skilled hands and minds be replaced by 3D printing machines and algorithms?
The film expresses the vain world of fashion where those who have “it” are valued, and those who do not are dismissed as unworthy of attention. The dismissive comments and throwing shade on others of lesser means seems like harmless, bitchy fun. But doesn’t that undervalue the existence of others? As much as I love the artistry, creativity, and innovation of fashion, this “us versus them” message is harmful. Yet it is accurate and, sadly, foundational to the fashion industry and our society writ large.
How to reconcile the respect for beauty, and the craft and art of creating couture, when the business of fashion is to separate people into the haves and have nots?
As with every human endeavor, there is a yin and yang- light and shadow. If only we could aspire to the light and leave the dark behind. The film does not suggest this; the closing shot suggests a successful life requires sacrifice, imbalance, and ruthless solitude. I found it sad and haunting. Miranda has triumphed yet learned nothing about being a better person. Is Andy following in her steps? Will Nigel’s potential ever be realized? The future seems shiny, shallow, and lonely.
For more information about The Devil Wears Prada 2, visit the website. And Alamo Drafthouse was a great place to see the screening, with a great food and drink menu (including a special menu for the movie) and ultra-comfy seats.
-By Jimmy McDonough
Comments are closed.