By Mark Fields
Unnecessary Sequel Doubles Down on The Glitz and Glamour
Despite the critical and financial success of the 2006 fashion world comedy The Devil Wears Prada, no one was really clamoring for a sequel, especially twenty years after the fact. The pitch-perfect performances, the sharp screenplay, and the glamorous milieu of high fashion really felt like capturing lightning in a bottle, a feat unlikely to be repeated. Nonetheless, the whole team is back for The Devil Wears Prada 2 – not only most of the original cast but also the director and screenwriters. Unfortunately, the movie is merely a rehash of the original, only with every glitzy element turned up to 11. Although it is entertaining enough, the sequel mostly feels like a missed opportunity.
If the plot matters to you, Prada 2 brings Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) back to Runway Magazine and its imperious executive editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) after a 20-year career as an acclaimed hard-news journalist. She’s hired by the publisher to give some gravitas to the Vogue-esque haute couture magazine after an embarrassing PR debacle, but Miranda dismissively sees no need for the face-saving effort or for Andy. Despite the fellowship of art director Nigel (Stanley Tucci) and former rival Emily (Emily Blunt), now a retail executive for Dior, Andy struggles to find her place in the hierarchy and in Miranda’s good graces.
The problem with this approach is that it replicates the dynamic of the 2006 movie. Andy is still eager to please and apt to make mistakes or know her place. Miranda is still officious, contemptuous, and unknowable. The other main characters simply serve as commentators for the ossified power imbalance at the core of both films.
Of course, the glitz and glamour are ramped up to an ecstatic, almost ridiculous level. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is jam-packed with luxe settings in New York and later Milan. Beyond the star power of the principals, minor roles are played by an impressive roster of familiar actors including Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, Kenneth Branagh, Rachel Bloom, among others; most of whom are given little to do.
Moreover, the entire movie is a fashion-industry version of “Spot The Celebrity” with brief appearances by Heidi Klum, Donatella Versace, Naomi Campbell, Jon Batiste, Jenna Bush Hager, and a certain pop music icon that will be saved for the third act reveal. The original film was credited with introducing the fashion world to the general public, and certainly the ensuing years have seen a fascination, maybe even obsession with high fashion (“Who are you wearing?”). Perhaps the filmmakers are banking on that, because many of the cameos require a heightened awareness of who’s who in design to really have the intended impact.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is briskly directed by David Frankel based on a clever but sloppy screenplay (so many inexplicable plot turns) by Aline Brosh McKenna and Lauren Weisberger, the same lead creatives as the 2006 version. They get the job done, but fail to break any new ground.
Those who go to The Devil Wears Prada 2 looking for a diverting bit of pretension and posh will certainly have their expectations met. The movie is superficially enjoyable. But overall, it just seems a little, well, last season.
Official Trailer
