The Devil Wears Prada 2
Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt
Director: David Frankel
Genre: Comedy, drama
Runtime: 120 minutes
Rating: 3.5/5
Let’s be clear: Miranda Priestly, lead character of The Devil Wears Prada (DWP), is a ghastly human being — making me wonder, in 2006, how one could like a film, while squarely hating its protagonist.
This is because the innately gifted Meryl Streep played the part with such natural gravitas, that you could somewhat confuse her sickening arrogance for acceptable idiosyncrasies of a possible genius.
Also, she represented a breed of such delusional office bosses from another generation, drunk on their own champagne, who believed their supposed subordinates weren’t colleagues, but a bunch of paid slaves, rightly freaking out at the sheer sight of the dude/diva.
“Gird your loins,” as Nigel (incredibly calm, likeable Stanley Tucci), announced the editor Priestly’s entry into the movie, and the magazine floor, where the opposite of the US Miranda Law (about your usual rights around imprisonment) operates!
While obviously overstated, some of this oppressive paraphernalia rang true to editorial bays, in general, at the time.
I was as old as GenZs, when I first watched DWP; also working in a newsroom. Both the PTSD and resonance seemed complete. It’s been 20 years since.
What’s changed, besides the appearance of drone cameras that makes the aspirational New York City look even more glorious, up close?
To start with, Priestly’s two Woman-Fridays have moved on in life. Their paths do meet, but at a different crossroad.
As in, Andy (Anne Hathaway) has circled back to Runway, fashion magazine, having secured an accomplished career in public affairs journalism. What she planned to achieve being Priestly’s measly secretary was unfathomable to me in the first part, anyway.
Likewise, Emily (Emily Blunt) has found herself a plush job at the fashion house, Dior. Which is something this character must’ve aspired for, all along.
Between the two, here’s the other thing that happened over these two decades — steady rise of Blunt as a proper movie star herself (Sicario, Oppenheimer). She was merely up and coming during DWP!
Which explains how this film makes sufficient elbow-room for Blunt’s part — no more the suitable sidey, in a two-way duel. Meryl Streep, of course, has been unreservedly the Hollywood superstar for as long as we can remember.
And the reason DWP became a pop-culture moment — for what could’ve remained surrogate advertising for high fashion, in the guise of a clever chick flick.
Streep’s character is, apparently, modelled on Anna Wintour, former editor of Vogue (1988-2025), high priestess of haute couture; possibly the most recognised print journalist of her times!
What about her in this sequel? Could you kinda observe with glee how the mighty Miranda Priestly has fallen? Just a teeny-weeny bit.
The media landscape has altogether altered. Influencers have entered the game. Print is no more the final word. Money has dried up. Credibility isn’t the sole currency. But DWP 2 isn’t a sob story. It’s a great film about change.
That said, Priestly still looks down from the ivory tower, albeit adjusting to its current height. Andy remains the eternal seeker of validation, while Nigel asks her, “Did your parents put up all your fingered paintings on the wall?” And Emily knows how to bury her head to the ground, in order to get what she wants.
Isn’t that true about personalities — they inevitably adapt; can’t totally disappear. This script is such fine example of consistent writing (Aline Brosh McKenna) — surely why director David Frankel waited 20 years to deliver a spot-on sequel.
Let’s be clearer still: I’m not the core audience for this film, specifically targeted at women, more so, with love for fashion. I thought, at some point, I’d go off to sleep (or get on my phone), while the ladies in the hall continued admiring the clothes, and rightly so.
To be fair, I did spot that cerulean blue sweater from the prequel that Anne Hathaway pays homage to, towards the end. But, equally, for a few seconds, it felt as if there was a bit of the superb series Succession going on here — concluding rather simplistically, yes.
But nope, hadn’t signed up for that! Didn’t expect the sequel of an iconic fashion movie to be about saving journalism, either. Isn’t our reaction to everything a function of expectations, after all? Such a pleasant surprise.
2006
When ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ released
