The Devil Wears Prada

I went to the theatres at Bridgeport Village today and caught The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. I'm a HUGE Meryl Streep fan and after viewing the trailers I knew I would love Ms. Streep in this role. From the perfectly coiffed hair to the stunning outfits, Streep is visually stunning and wonderfully wicked.

I haven't read the book yet so I don't know how faithful the movie is to the novel. The story follows Andy, a young woman in New York who is chasing her dream to become a journalist. She obtains a highly sought after assistant position, to legendary editor-in-chief Miranda Priestley at a leading fashion magazine, and her world explodes. It's cliché but as Andy becomes more involved with her work and the fashion world in which she lives, she loses sight of her friends, family, and all those other important things, including her sense of self.

Now I think Anne Hathaway is cute and I thoroughly enjoyed her in The Princess Diaries but she is no match for Ms. Streep. And Streep, whose effortless performance has you suddenly rooting for the boss from hell instead of sympathizing with the victims of her sharp retorts and blunt, no nonsense expectations, is fantastic. Every word uttered, every glare bestowed, every movement represents all that is evil but all that we strangely admire. She's ballsy and ruthless and cunning and totally entertaining.

Of course, Andy matures and learns a thing or two about the world. And the boss we believed had no heart is revealed to have hidden depths. It should be noted that Stanley Tucci is outstanding in his role as Miranda's fashion director and the only person in the office that appears to like Andy. He dubs her "6" after she confesses that she's a size 6, unlike the 0s, 2s, and 4s of the fashion world. And Emily Blunt, who plays Miranda's first assistant and Andy's "mentor," is curt and rude and totally likeable because she's so damn bitchy.

If you visit the movie's web site, there's a cool little game called Hell Boss where you can build your boss with accessories like whips and guns and environments like the office and burning in eternal hellfire. It's a good way to rid yourself of some work-related hostility. Here's one of my past bosses. Yep, he's eating a chicken leg and losing his hair.