Learn from Meryl Streep what separates Fashion from cliché.

Rating: 7/10 (18 March 2007)

The Devil Wears Prada showcases two stars, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Mrs. Streep Portrays Miranda Preistley, CEO of Runway Magazine and a woman of refined character that has built her life using whatever it takes in the Game of life. We never truly get to know her character but see fragments of her abilities in the High Fashion world. She is a Bitch and she knows that being a Tough Bitch is the Key in making it in her Career. She is most definitely the Devil. That's if Corporate Capitalism and the dollar is the True Hades Dweller that the holy book alludes to. Miranda Priestly is beautiful and mean, shrewd and experienced...Meryl Streep is given three scenes to really showcase her acting. She defines fashion and we have her attention. Her performance as Mrs. Priestly will become a film note for sure. She is cruel but a good woman in love with power and fashion.
Anne Hathaway portrays, Andrea ("Annie") a Northwestern Graduate who has landed a Job at Runway Magazine as 2nd assistant to Miranda Priestly. The Lion and the Lamb. There is an innocence emitting within Hathaway's character mostly expressed in her rosy cheeks. The transformation she goes through is expected and comes along well and is refreshing. She defines to look within oneself and see how beautiful we can become especially in the art world of fashion where individualism is expressed purely. We welcome her transformation as Hathaway is captured beautifully at times in exquisite dresses. The black dress even received recognition from envy as Annie's boyfriend unconsciously reacts to her epiphany. Annie is a confident Graduate who states; "Well, that would not be fair.", when a High Executive advises her to quit after being shrewdly told she was a dumpy fat slob by Mrs. Priestly.
The weakness in the film lies in the script. The plot is predictable and a silly subplot about a takeover distracts from the character development. It would have made a great film had the writer examined the two lead characters more where each one has something to learn from the other. It was not clear if Miranda Preistly learned anything from Annie. She never became self aware of her pompous behavior and gave in to the aspect of life that the other side was cool. Then again Thats the Devil.
Annie did the job as a Northwestern Graduate would do. Perfect! She is out to prove to the world she can do anything. She walked away from the high fashion world displaying confidence and experience. She saw the ill effects of such a career as sex and corruption, betrayal and deceit, let alone the missing drug abuse would have consumed her. Her first ski lift would have taken her into that lust pool where the Devil flourish's and smiles pompously and shrewdly at her while she caves into desire. However, The film goes to fluff and remains a fun family film without getting to absorb in seriousness. Annie is the angel that showed us how to beat the Devil when she or he or it appears in our life.
Love thy enemy and help them.