DVD Reviews

The Devil Wears Prada

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Adrian Grenier
• Details: February 5th.

DVD Release Date: February 5th.

Idealistic young woman Andy (Hathaway) moves to New York in search of a job as a journalist. Finding it difficult to get work in her chosen field, she goes for an interview as an assistant to the editor of Runway magazine - a tyrant by the name of Miranda Priestley (Streep).Bagging the job on account of her smarts, despite her obvious stylistic inadequacies, Andy soon finds the cutthroat and shallow world of fashion tough to deal with, as her abrasive and cruel boss endlessly adds to her woes. Seen as something of a tour de force for Streep, The Devil Wears Prada has been the sleeper hit of the year, and it's relatively easy to see why. While Streep gives her strongest performance in a long time, she's well matched by an adorable Hathaway and a hilariously bitchy Blunt. Director Frankel is a veteran of Sex and the City and it shows; his direction is glossy but not over-the-top, and is consistent to the mostly light-hearted tone of the material. Essentially, this is basic fish-out-of-water stuff and has been done to death before (being closest in general plot to Working Girl); but Prada is still a wholeheartedly charming watch - throwaway, fluffy, feel-good entertainment with pretty clothes, bitchy, beautiful girls and a protagonist who you don't wanna see run over by a bus. Hathaway has now fully earned that 'next big thing' accolade pinned on so many actresses. She has the girl-next-door thing practically locked down and glides through proceedings oozing an effortless charm, playing gawky and beautiful simultaneously. Supporting players Tucci and Grenier (Entourage) are both sufficiently camp and likeable in underwritten roles - but it's supporting player Blunt who makes off with every scene that's she's in, bringing an inexplicable likeability to a character we should hate. While Streep may get the plaudits, Prada is worth watching for many other reasons, and will undoubtedly be frequenting many a teenage girl's DVD player for years to come.

Review by Mike Sheridan