Nostalgia is all the rage and continues to stay in fashion as another legacy sequel for a beloved film enters multiplexes this weekend. In The Devil Wears Prada 2, Andrea “Andy” Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is now a successful writer for a New York newspaper…until the rug is pulled out from under her and she’s caught up in the layoffs. After giving an impassioned speech about the important of journalism while accepting an award, chairman of the publisher of Runway magazine Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman) is given the idea of hiring Andy to manage their sweatshop labor PR crisis as the new features editor by his son Jay (B.J. Novak). Andy has returned to her old employer just as Runway editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) has to navigates a new media landscape and Runway’s position within it. This eventually leads them to reconnect with Miranda’s other former assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), now the head of a luxury brand that advertises with Runway, to fight for the magazine’s survival.
When it comes to legacy sequels that pick up years after their predecessors, the question often is whether the new film can feel current without being too on the nose in appealing to the now and away from what made it resonate in the first place. Not only does The Devil Wears Prada 2 strike the balance between nostalgia and contemporary, it’s commentary on the current zeitgeist is timely and well targeted. Watching the first film, it stands out how time has shifted against her boss from hell persona and what once was seen as a deliciously evil but aspirational girlboss tyrant figure would now be considered problematic. The sequel addresses this cleverly through a running gag of Miranda attempting to self censor her most biting critiques during staff meetings in an effort to implement directives from HR rather than a heavy handed direct monologue or scene where Miranda’s abusiveness is spotlighted head on. Even the impetus for the film’s conflict, the exploitative nature of the fast fashion business model that had spawned from social media and disrupted traditional luxury fashion is timely commentary on the industry being lampooned.
In that vein, the most impactful topical aspect of The Devil Wears Prada 2’s theme is its examination of how legacy institutions are under threat from an ever changing technological and corporate world. Andy’s world is turned upside down when her successful newspaper suffers mass layoffs despite her and her colleagues receiving industry awards just as the news of their termination breaks. Similarly to the struggles Runway faces due to an increasingly digitized world, journalism in the world of this film is shrinking in influence and opportunity, similarly to the industry in our real world. Miranda and Andy struggle to find their places amidst the turmoil and change, complete with their expertise and talent in a world that no longer values the mediums in which they’ve traditionally presented them. The commentary avoids being overtly preachy, but establishes its resonance through the story and its driving conflict in a way that is interesting and fits its world while being clear in its real world parallels. It’s the best way to handle serious social commentary balanced within a film that is popular for its style and humor.
Not to worry though, the characters fans have come to know and love are fully present as their usual selves picking right up where they left off. Hathaway, Streep, Blunt, and Stanley Tucci as Nigel display the same chemistry that made the first film so fun here in part two. Tucci still has that acerbic wit, Hathaway’s Andy is still simultaneously exhausted and idealistic dealing with Miranda and Runway while Streep maintains Miranda’s iconic dismissiveness and tough exterior as Editor of the magazine. While this is sure to be good news for most and satisfactory for fans who just want to see their favorites onscreen again, it does hold The Devil Wears Prada 2 back from being just another installment, albeit a pretty quality one, in the franchise rather than anything special or innovative. Think of it as the next season in a typical tv show; you get a new story and a couple of new locations, but it’s largely the same characters acting the same and offering the same of what you’ve come to love. This isn’t a bad thing, but not something fresh that’s going to stand out, just satiate and satisfy you for the most part.
Not everything has to be exceptional however; most times, audiences just want something enjoyable and a good time that doesn’t feel like you’ve wasted time and money going to the movies. The Devil Wears Prada 2 certainly fits that bill, particularly if you enjoyed the first film. The ensemble is exactly what you expect them to be, in the way you expect them to be, and the way you remember and enjoyed them before. The film mostly avoids ever meandering, save for a moment or two in the second act, and keeps you engaged throughout. You may not be wowed, but you won’t be disappointed.
Image: 20th Century Studios
