I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It shows the “negative”, “back stabbing” and “devilish” side of the glamorous fashion industry through the eyes of a wannabe journalist (Anne Hathaway); who knows nothing about the fashion industry and is hired to be the assistant of the ruthless Runaway Magazine Editor-in-Chief Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep).

The job incidentally was one that a “million girls would kill for”. [1] Devil Wears Prada shows how a person can be so engrossed in their work, trying so hard to have a successful career (and to seek promotion) that he/she forgets about the simple things in life and that “there is life outside work”. It also shows the sad but true occurrence in the business/corporate world today of how job promotion can often be at the expense of hurting others and one’s integrity.

Anne Hathaway (Andrea “Andy” Sachs) does an above average impression of her previous “Princess Diaries” and “Ugly ducking to Swan” role. She starts off as a classic friendly, simpleton not worrying too much about how she looks, “what shoes she wears” or “how her hair is done”, just taking the job for the sake of paying her rent and to gain experience. She gets a physical and character makeover transforming into the very person that she used to despise … an elegant, fashion conscious workaholic who puts her job first ahead of her family and friends in order to impress her boss. Meryl Streep steals the show, doing a brilliant job profiling a tough, vicious, demanding “highly respected” editor that everyone wants to be on the good side off.

Others: Emily Blunt was very good playing the “other” assistant. Stanley Tucci (Nigel) give a good performance in the hard nosed fashion editor that eventually befriends Andy and is responsible for transforming her into her elegant physical self.

Classic statements in the film …

• “You sold your soul to the devil when you put on your first pair of Jimmy Choo’s! ” [Emily]
• “When it feels like you are having a busy yet horrible day, you are actually doing your job well” [Nigel]
• “Wait till you feel like your head is going to explode, it’s time that you’ll be getting your promotion. [Nigel]
• “You are in desperate need of Chanel.” [Nigel]
• “The details of your incompetence do not interest me.” [Miranda Priestley]

Interesting trivia from [2] Imdb.com: The book that Miranda (Meryl Streep) asks Andy (Anne Hathaway) to retrieve for her twin daughters is Harry Potter Book 7 and would indeed be a near impossible task to hunt down. One of the prop books used in the movie sold in an online auction for $586.00 and proceeds went to Dress for Success, a non-profit organization that assists more than 45,000 disadvantaged women each year as they transition into the workforce.

The best on-screen movie I have seen this year (so far). This is quite refreshing after I was a little disappointed by the mega expensive summer movies that were supposed to “wow” me. [3] The full summary of the movie can be read here.