Funny but predictable comedy.

Rating: 5/10 (31 March 2007)

The character arc of Andy Sachs is all too predictable: a good girl enters by chance into the fashion world, loses sight of her values and then regains them. The problem is that we're told that she becomes another person but, as portrayed in the film, Andy is the same good, hard-working person throughout the movie. Maybe it is Anne Hathaway's (and the director's) fault for not showing the alleged difference. Yes, Andy becomes obsessed with her job, but she doesn't become obsessed with fashion. When Lily and Nate tell Andy that "she's become one of them," it is an unfair criticism ("them" understood to be the air-headed people who believe that fashion is the only important thing in the world); Andy is just a truly hard-working, overly responsible girl who lost the ability to put boundaries between her job and her private life. It seems that Andy could have become as obsessed with any other job, but I'm sure that if she was working as much in "serious" journalism, nobody would criticize her. This, coming from Hollywood (sooo in love with glitz and glamor), is the ultimate hypocrisy. Much is done about the fact that she "betrayed" Emily but, as presented in the film, her choice of going to Paris with Miranda is very understandable (it's either going or getting sacked); besides, if your boss offers you a promotion, is it wrong to accept it because other people wanted it? Aaah, isn't that always the case?
At least the film doesn't go for the obvious jokes when poking fun at the fashion world (in the same way that "Prêt-à-Porter" did). On the contrary, it is presented in such a way that we understand the fascination that fashion holds for so many people. In the same vain, we get to love and hate Miranda (love to watch her; would hate to work under her). But the funniest character is without a doubt Emily, in an acerbic sort of way.