The Devil Wears Prada 2

When 20 years pass between a movie and its sequel, a lot of disappointment can result when the follow-up is at last released. Derivative, underdeveloped story threads and an overreliance on nostalgic strolls down memory lane often abound, leaving viewers suitably underwhelmed, especially loyal fans of the source material. However, every so often, audiences are the lucky beneficiaries of pleasant surprises, movies that live up to their billing and come close to matching the magic of their predecessors. Such is the case with director David Frankel’s long-awaited answer to the iconic 2006 comedy “The Devil Wears Prada,” a delightful blend of the elements that made the original such a success, skillfully mixed with enough new material to create a work all its own. This latest offering follows what happens when the iconic Runway fashion magazine, led by longtime editor/diva in residence Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), finds itself in hot water for unwittingly publishing an offensive article in praise of a clothing manufacturer that’s essentially an exploitative sweat shop, placing the publication’s and editor’s future in jeopardy. To effect damage control, Runway quickly hires award-winning journalist Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) to come on board as the magazine’s new features editor. Andy’s hiring proves propitious for her, having just been unexpectedly laid off from her job (despite her recent accolades), and for Runway, given her familiarity with the magazine, having once worked there, ironically, as Miranda’s often-put-upon assistant. Having now been thrown together under these trying circumstances, the confrontational duo struggles to make things work out, an ordeal that eventually culminates in a battle in which multiple parties vie for ownership of the publication. Joining the fray in this rollercoaster scenario are Miranda’s trusty righthand man, Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci), Andy’s onetime condescending rival, Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt), and an array of Runway assistants, staffers and interns, along with a host of friends, foes, competitors and celebrity cameos including appearances by the likes of Lady Gaga, Lucy Liu and Kenneth Branagh. The narrative generally flows smoothly, if a bit episodic and compartmentalized at times, with more than its fair share of laughs, vibrant fashion montages, gorgeously shot location settings in New York and Milan, and a frank, bitingly honest appraisal of how the publishing business has “changed” (i.e., declined) in the two decades since the original film. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” likely won’t go down in the annals of filmmaking as an enduring piece of cinema, but it certainly makes the grade as a capable, entertaining sequel that isn’t the kind of letdown that so many of its celluloid peers often are. Indeed, as Miranda would likely sum it up, “That’s all.…”

Much as I did quite enjoy this, it isn't a patch on the first outing for those at "Runway" magazine two decades ago. It seems that boss "Miranda" (Meryl Streep) has somewhat lost her touch and after a major in-print faux-pas, she is on the defensive with a publisher who needs her to eat some humble pie and appease disgruntled advertisers. To make matters worse, he imposes a new features editor in the form of her erstwhile second assistant "Andy" (Anne Hathaway) who has recently been the victim of some downsizing at her previous employer. Luckily for this unwelcomed new arrival, the debonaire "Nigel" (Stanley Tucci) is still around to try and smooth the path for her as she treads on some eggshells more delicate than those from Karl Fabergé. One of those they have to keep sweet is Dior, and guess who has taken the reins there? Yep - the original "Emily" (Emily Blunt) who is savouring her opportunity to make her former boss squirm. "Andy" is going to have to pull off something big if she is to impress her sceptical and aloof boss - a task made all the more difficult when their publisher dives head first into the consommé and his son espies an opportunity to employ some consultants to "streamline" this most lavish of publications. Will they unite to fight? Can they even trust each other? What was missing for me in this was an imperiousness from Streep. Her cutting one-liners and superiority complex are just too limited and humanised here - thanks in part to partner "Stuart" (Sir Kenneth Branagh), and her character spends altogether too much time on the back foot. Hathaway and Tucci reprise their roles well enough but the altered dynamic between "Andy" and a too peripheral "Emily" didn't quite work so well for me. Too much emphasis is made on the access the production has had to real high-fashion shoots, to real celebrity contributors and to the authentic glamour of the industry whilst the lacklustre story is rather left to find it's own way. Clearly, there is a valid point to be made regarding the compromising of journalistic values by automating so many of the creative processes for both simplistic and financial purposes, and this presents the pitfalls of those increasingly prevailing attitudes and of the public's apathy effectively at times - even if the sheer profligacy of this business might prove a little hard to stomach if you can't pay your electric bill. It's still an enjoyable dose of escapism but as in her meetings where "Miranda" is constantly being reined in by her politically correct assistant, this has been neutered and has lost a fair degree of it's sharpness.