7 thoughts on the devil wears prada 2
FILM REVIEW
1
Why was Kenneth Branagh mincing around the screen like a glorified butler? I mean I loved it, but the man served little to no dramatic purpose - other than opening doors, showing people where to go and (performatively) reading self-help books.
2
My biggest criticism and why I think the sequel fell slightly flat... The first film has a clear POV: we're the underdog, Andy Sachs. It's a classic fish-out-of-water narrative. We know exactly where we stand, who we're rooting for and what's at stake… Here, the lines are blurred and keep being redrawn. For example, Andy has seemingly outgrown Runway, but she's still treated like the assistant. One minute they barely remember her, the next they're reminiscing over inside jokes. The perspectives and relationships needed far better tracking.
3
Given the backlash against Nate (for whom missing one grilled cheese was a relationship-ending offence), they had to get Andy's new love interest right. Enter Peter: an Aussie luxury building renovator. Now I genuinely can't decide if it's absolutely perfect or absolutely batshit-there's no in between... Although they had about as much chemistry as an estate agent and a home buyer... which, to be fair, is essentially what they were. Peter is a far more supportive partner than Nate, justice for the fans saying, "Can we get Andy a man who actually likes her being successful?" Apparently several of Peter's scenes were cut, which could explain why he never quite clicks.
4
The exposé subplot is interesting... Andy is offered a lucrative deal to write a tell-all book about Miranda - essentially doing exactly what Lauren Weisberger was (allegedly) believed to have done with The Devil Wears Prada book. Here the narrative veers into meta territory. A wink to the film's own origins. liked it.
5
The fashion and publishing industries have changed so much in the last 20 years, and I think the film did a great job of acknowledging that without feeling too documentary-like. It nods to digital media, the decline of print, Al etc, but never gets bogged down trying to explain them. The changes feel like part of the eco-system, rather than the whole point.
6
The dialogue was snappy with some witty one-liners. But there wasn't a line that felt iconic or meme-able. Nothing on the level of "Move at a glacial pace", "Gird your loins", or the cerulean blue that represents "millions of dollars and countless jobs." The speech comparing fashion to religion in front of Da Vinci's Last Supper did not land for me.
7
My favourite style moment was repurposing Andy's iconic cerulean sweater into a tank top for the final scene. A cute, nostalgic detail that reinforced the link between fashion, identity and storytelling.