Twenty years ago, we marvelled at Andy Sachs’ (Anne Hathaway) ability to run in needle-thin stilettos through the streets of New York. It was, apparently, in the JD for the job that “a million girls would kill for” – assistant to the imperious Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), who reigned supreme at Runway magazine. Andy’s amazing footwork hasn’t changed. And it’s not the only thing that feels familiar in The Devil Wears Prada 2. Or perhaps we should say over-familiar.
Now an award-winning journalist at a top New York paper, Andy falls victim to the relentless double act of cost-cutting and technology and is out of work. She’s not the only one, but while her friends are frantically job hunting, she receives a call from the owner of Runway magazine and finds herself working for La Priestly again, this time as the Features Editor. But the publication is under fire for a dubious business deal, and it’s down to Andi to turn things round. And, while she pulls off a coup that does wonders to boost Runway’s image, she also has to work alongside former colleague Emily (Emily Blunt), who now runs a luxury brand which provides much-needed advertising revenue. Just as things start to settle, though, there’s a radical change among the magazine’s owners, one that could mean the demise of the ultimate fashion bible – and its iconic Editor.
After the popularity of the original, the gang are back to reprise their roles – Streep, Hathaway (also currently flaunting some outrageous costumes in David Lowery’s Mother Mary) and Blunt (back on screens this summer in Spielberg’s Disclosure Day), as well as Stanley Tucci as Nigel, Miranda’s right-hand man and Andy’s benevolent mentor, and Tracie Thoms as Lily, her friend with the designer handbag habit. Before you ask, yes, she has been gifted another addition to her collection. It’s one of a never-ending list of verbal and visual references to The Devil Wears Prada, from a street vendor helping a customer to choose between two similar belts, to a solitary smile from Streep and a model covered from head to toe in lurid florals. All of which makes it a crowd pleaser from start to finish, with fans relishing being on much-loved territory, but with the quotes and nudges coming thick and fast throughout the film, there’s a point when you wish it would move on to do something different.
And it knows it has to go further than just giving us more of the same. We’re shown how new technology affects the media world and, more importantly, the people who work there, but, in truth, we’re not being shown anything we already don’t know about. And, without having anybody to root for in the same way as in the original, it feels weaker and no longer a gentle satire on the fashion business. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is more of a look behind the scenes at what could be almost any industry. There are times when all those glorious clothes and accessories – and the occasional hideous ones – feel almost as incidental as some of those non-stop references. And what comes as a surprise, given the perfection of much of what we see, is what can only be described as sloppy lippy – both Streep and Hathaway regularly suffer from it.
For the generation that grew up with it, the original film meant something, and chances are they’ll welcome The Devil Wears Prada 2 like a visit from a much-missed friend. Whether the new generation will take this follow-up to their hearts in the same way is questionable, but with this year’s sequels so far ranging from the gripping 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple to the uninspired Scream 7, they can at least look forward to a stylish couple of hours. Yet, despite all the vibrant colours and glamorous settings, its predecessor casts a long shadow and, while diverting enough, this feels like a softer, more generic re-working of the first instalment. Couture, yes, but not haute couture.
★★★
In cinemas from May 1st / Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Justin Theroux, Kenneth Branagh, Tracie Thoms, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu / Dir: David Frankel / 20th Century Studios / 12A
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