Film Pick of the Week: The Devil Wears Prada 2 - review by Yvette Huddleston
The Devil Wears Prada 2 Prime Video, review by Yvette Huddleston
Twenty years on from the first movie – which became a phenomenon and a fan favourite – here is the sequel and, as is often the way, it doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor. However, that is not to say it isn’t an enormous amount of sophisticated and stylish fun.
All the stars from the original return and they are clearly having an absolute ball revisiting the characters they created two decades ago. The 2006 movie followed the fortunes of recent college graduate and would-be serious journalist Andrea (Andy) Sachs (Anne Hathaway) who managed to land a job at prestigious New York fashion magazine Runway, edited by the formidable Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep).
Streep is once again on fine imperious form as Miranda, still in charge at Runway, ably supported and assisted by her loyal right hand man Nigel (Stanley Tucci). Andy is now a respected, award-winning journalist working for a quality broadsheet but is made redundant in a brutal cost-cutting exercise and when the offer of the post of features editor at Runway comes up, despite some misgivings, she takes it on. Runway has its own challenges – magazine publishing has changed radically in the intervening years and, although she won’t admit it, Miranda is in danger of becoming a bit of a dinosaur.
Also returning is Andy’s nemesis from the first film hypercritical English posh girl Emily (Emily Blunt) who is now the head of Dior, a major advertiser with Runway. She knows that publications like Runway rely on the advertising revenue from luxury brands and she is enjoying calling the shots. Her frosty attitude towards Andy hasn’t softened any, although towards the end of the movie there is a kind of rapprochement between the two. Jeopardy is provided by some shady shenanigans and possible corporate coup going on in the background and there is a nice romantic subplot for Andy, who meets and falls for Australian property developer (Patrick Brammall), while Miranda’s latest partner is kind violinist, played by Kenneth Branagh.
There is a photogenic trip to Milan and a picturesque gathering at Miranda’s house in the Hamptons, a few celebrity cameos – that actually feel quite natural and not shoe-horned in – and it all looks absolutely fabulous. The clothes, shoes, make-up and hair are immaculate and the fashion set pieces are every bit as glorious, glamorous and over the top as you might expect and hope for. A real treat.