THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: David Frankel
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Patrick Brammall, Kenneth Branagh, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, B J Novack, Tibor Feldman, Caleb Hearon, Helen J Shen, Tracie Thoms, Simone Ashley, Lady Gaga.
Released in 2006, The Devil Wears Prada was an entertaining romcom set against the backdrop of the fashion industry and much of the action centred around a fictional fashion magazine called Runway, a thinly disguised version of the more famous Vogue. The film didn’t really need a sequel, but here we are twenty years later with the unimaginatively titled The Devil Wears Prada 2.
The same key personnel – the main cast of A-listers, writer Aline Brosh McKenna, director David Frankel and cinematographer Florian Ballhaus all return for this belated sequel, which provides a sense of continuity to the material. It features some gorgeous locations from New York to Milan, fabulous costumes, an A-list cast, and more celebrity cameos that you can point a stick at (hello Lady Gaga!). But it is all in search of a decent story line.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 takes up the story twenty years after the original. Runway magazine is in trouble, and its once sterling reputation is in tatters after a revealing news report exposed that the magazine praised a fashion label that actually used “sweat shop” conditions to exploit its employees. The imperious Miranda Priestley (Meryl Streep) is in damage control as she tries to repair the damage.
Meanwhile former intern Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) has been working as a successful award-winning journalist for a reputable news agency when she learns that she and her colleagues have been made redundant. A lifeline arrives unexpectedly with a job offer from Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman), the wealthy owner of the magazine’s parent company who hires her as the new features editor of Runway magazine. Miranda was unaware of this appointment which creates some tension between the pair. But thankfully the unflappable and reliable Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci) is still on hand to help Andy navigate these troubled waters.
Runway’s reliance on advertising dollars from a major corporate sponsor in fashion house Dior is also under threat and Andy is forced to deal with former fellow intern Emily (Emily Blunt), who is now an executive with the renowned fashion label. The pair have a prickly relationship from their past rivalry.
There are further complications involving corporate intrigues, office politics, multi-million dollar buy-outs and desperate behind the scenes deals before everything is resolved. The busy script from McKenna keeps the film relevant though as she tackles the issue of art versus commerce and also makes a statement about the importance of real journalism in an era of “fake news”, clickbait and digital media, although it doesn’t really land with any impact.
The cast seem to have had fun shooting this sequel. Streep is still good as the imperious, hardnosed Miranda and her delivery of scathing putdowns is flawless as usual but her character lacks the bite of the first film. Hathaway suffuses her Andy with a nice bubbly and upbeat quality. Tucci is excellent as the wise and supportive Nigel. Kenneth Branagh is largely wasted and underused in a small and thankless role as Stuart, Miranda’s husband, who spends most of his time opening doors and saying very little. Lucy Liu has a small but important role as philanthropist Sasha Barnes, the reclusive former wife of tech mogul Benji (Justin Theroux), Emily’s new boyfriend, and she plays a key role in determining Runway’s ultimate fate. Blunt brings a comedic edge to her performance as the ambitious Emily. Australian actor Patrick Brammall (Colin From Accounts, etc) also has a small role as Peter, a real estate developer who provides a new love interest for Andy.
Frankel’s direction is light and breezy, and he keeps things moving along at a nice pace. There are many one-liners and clever jokes that land often enough to keep audiences amused throughout. The film looks nice too as Ballhaus gives both the New York and Milan locations a glossy sheen.
Like most sequels The Devil Wears Prada 2 falls short of the original, and it does tend to become a bit sluggish in the middle. Nonetheless it still manages to tap into a sense of nostalgia for the original and provides more than enough to entertain and amuse audiences.
★★★
