Good Movie with Decent All-Around Performances. Not a "Chick Flick"

Rating: 7/10 (5 July 2006)

Minor thematic and plot spoilers ahead.
First and foremost, get it out of your heads that this is movie is tailor-made only for women. The themes this movie explores are much more universal than anything you'd find in a women's-only movie. Secondly, the actors' personalities help to mitigate any romantic sap this movie has. There's romance, but it takes a backseat to the hustle-and-bustle world of the fashion magazine industry. Meryl Streep gives a fine performance as Miranda, playing it quiet as opposed to over-the-top. She's the perfect "ice queen," cool and silent yet sharp and biting. Sure, the character is exaggerated, but Miranda is a great example of someone driven for success at all costs. She is actually quite a sympathetic character towards the end. The lovely Anne Hathaway is also great as Miranda's protégé, who is willing to do the Labors of Hercules to succeed in her new career. Stanley Tucci is great as Miranda's fashion-savvy and snide assistant.
Men and women alike will relate to both Streep and Hathaway's characters, and understand the onerous business of working one's way up in the world. It's a very universal theme, and it works in this movie's favor. While not really a "chick flick," I will give the movie this: the main female characters are complex and engaging, while the men, with the exception of Tucci, are weenies. In spite of the rather negative portrayal of the men, it is very unfair to call this decent film---one of the best of the year so far---a simplistic "chick flick."
A scene to watch for is when Miranda explains to Hathaway the subtleties of color in fashion, and how Hathaway chose her "blue" dress only through the tortuous promotion of fashion magazines and designers. It is a lovely example of a businesswoman indoctrinating her her naive protégé into her complex world. While the film was not great, I think Streep should at least get an Oscar nomination for her subdued performance, "that's all!"