Good cinematography, yet very disappointing story...

Rating: 4/10 (3 November 2007)

4 is really the max i can give this film. I had expected so much more from this seeing all the hype that was caused by it. If it wasn't for Meryl Streep this movie would get no more than 1 star. The story is extremely predictable, it's just another one of those safe Hollywood scenario formula's. The excellent cinematography is what makes this movie worth looking, yet, the story is absolutely horrible. Also, there's a chaotic development of characters, such as Andy's friends (where's her family that was mentioned?), they suddenly turn their backs against her, while at least one or two of them could have stuck to being supportive. I was fearing a predictable end, but up to the title roll i still hoped for a surprise; alas, there was none. This movie seems to be typically moralizing, the fashion world is bad, the real journalistic world is good, black vs. white; it's unfortunately a consistent analogy to Hollywood stories on the silver screen. A very simplistic view on our world, which makes this movie nothing more than just a vague sensation, instead of something to ponder about, to make you actually think! I rented the movie, and i will not buy it, as the second time i saw it i couldn't even bear the cheap sentimental muzak blatantly revealing the type of movie to expect. A little girl in a big city, entangled in the merciless web of fashionista's.. but oh dear, at the end she chooses for "the good", i was literally crying.. for wasting my time on this. This subject could have embraced so many more dimensions of storytelling, a wasted opportunity.
Anyway, I'll go back to watching European cinema again now, as they're a lot less predictive and moralizing.