I've always been secretly in love with Anne Hathaway after watching The Princess Diaries. Those big doe-like eyes, so mesmerizing, so hypnotizing! That smile, so dazzling that the radiance of the afternoon sun would've paled in comparison, that beauty, so indescribably great that watching something like The Princess Diaries was like a life-altering experience, albeit a life-altering experience kept a secret until this very day. I was 17 then, but I would remain bewitched for nearly half a decade.
Since then, I would acquire hard-to-get films like The Other Side Of Heaven and Havoc solely to catch a glimpse of Anne Hathaway, knowing that her mere presence would elevate the quality of these films I was watching. Yeah, the films were forgettable (... despite the sex scenes in Havoc), but it mattered not, I was content.The Princess Diaries 2 was a movie so horrid that made me want to gouge out my own eyes, but I changed my mind in the last minute because I feared that I wouldn't see any movies with Anne Hathaway in the future, that fate scared me more than being blind itself.
Films with Anne Hathaway in it tend to have a romantic interest that don't deserve her. I would watch, and then grimace in disgust, wondering why her characters in those films would love these regular, boring, bland guys. They were disappointing. The only one who came near was Jake Gyllenhaal's Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain, but then, he turned out to be gay. No one is good enough for Anne Hathaway. NO ONE!
And so, I went to see The Devil Wears Prada one afternoon after my dad, YES, my dad, unexpectedly gave me his thumbs-up after seeing that film over in Malaysia. My DAD???? Liking a chick flick like this?Anyway, my dad liked its rather realistic portrayal of the corporate world, which he could relate to because of his own experiences.
But it mattered not to me, I just wanted to see Anne Hathaway, so I immediately took a bus to the city to catch the film.
Film's about Andy Sachs (Hathaway... yummy), a young woman who scored a job as the assistant of one of the city's biggest fashion magazine editors, the ruthless and cynical Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Being in a fashion magazine, the already beautiful Andy had to undergo a makeover to become even more beautiful. I almost covered my packet of M & M's with blood that gushed out of my nose then.
Anyway, yes, what you've heard about Meryl Streep's Oscar nomination-worthy performance as Miranda Priestly are true. She was THAT good as the boss from hell. A stone cold glare that could turn even the most hardened of war veterans into ice, making crazy demands like securing the unpublished manuscript of the latest Harry Potter book for her own kids. However, she never raised her voice beyond normal speaking level, making her even more intimidating in a Clint Eastwood way (whom Meryl Streep had based the mannerisms on). But instead of being a one-dimensional cartoon, the film's gradual focus on her towards the end revealed her to be a somewhat complex, even sympathetic, human being.A good film with solid performances from the supporting cast like Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. Not usually my cup of tea, but then, seeing Anne Hathaway onscreen multiplied my enjoyment of the film.
Other reviews from Malaysian blogs (... that are more objective and do not talk so much about Anne Hathaway):
Snippets of this and that: The Devil Wears Prada - a review
Lao Chen feels that conformity is portrayed as a good thing in the film (to me, I think it is the entire opposite, it is more a cautionary tale). He also questioned where did Andy get her hands on those glamourous clothes after her makeover, well, she IS working at a fashion magazine, so I'll be surprised if she is incapable of acquiring them. (can you imagine a music magazine where the employees cannot get their hands on music CDs?)
Huzmi Dahlan: The Devil Wears Prada
Huzmi attempts to regurgitate the film's plot in his review. Oh, and he gives the film 4 out of 5.
Laksa Diaries: Devil With Fashion Sense
Glowing (and very articulate) review of the film. Laksa Diaries gives it a perfect score, declaring that tis' the best fashion-related film he (or she? I've never been too sure about the site owner's gender) had seen in years... but then, fashion-related films ARE rare.
Mossism.net: The Devil Wears Prada
Mossie`Ol Chin thinks that this is a useful film to watch for those who are going to join the workforce soon.
Anne Hathaway talks about The Devil Wears Prada at David Letterman Show... yummy... I meant Hathaway, not Letterman.
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