Unleash the Devil

Sunny.27C

*Warning: This contains spoilers.*

After so many months of waiting, The Devil Wears Prada is finally showing in Hong Kong and I finally get to see it! I am, honestly, not the biggest fan of fashion, the novel, nor any of the actors/actresses in the movie. But I have wanted to see it since I know it was in production. Why? Because I know it's going to be glam. Because I know it's going to be funny. But, most importantly, I want to see how much of those excruciating, devilish embarrassment are going to be translated onto the big screen.

Well, not much actually.

I was right about the glamour, the clothes, the make-up, the city... Meryl Streep was beyond marvellous. You want to see power in her? Check. You want to see meanness in her? Check. You want to see style in her? Check. Come along with the package is grace and composure. You seldom see her in all tantrum, but in lieu it's a train of complaints and acute comments. The type that would either bore you or scare you to death. Anne Hathaway was doing a competent job. The script doesn't really allow her to develop much out of the character. So you'll see that she's transformed, but rather superficially, and flatly. Stanley Tucci was like a mentor to Hathaway. He was so mean in the beginning, but of course, he's actually a really nice and wise guy. And, he was really funny. I really like him. :P

One of the critics said that Grenier and Baker should be switched around, and I absolutely agree. Christian Thompson (Collinsworth in the novel) should have been a tall, slender, chic and um..... type of guy. And Baker was rather the opposite. I'm not saying that he's unattractive, but he's not quite up to the original creation in the novel. In fact, he looks rather like one of my colleagues, who was, incidentally, also from Australia. On the other hand, Grenier, as Hathaway's boyfriend, is more chic and charming than Baker. Not sure what it was exactly, but I'd choose Grenier over Baker, if I'd have the choice.

They have modified quite a bit of the details. Miranda's divorce was not on the original agenda, if I remember correctly. The movie-version Andrea made fewer mistakes, has gone through much less pain in getting the *right* coffee, was smarter to get two copies of the unpublished Harry Potter and make a back up copy for Miranda, and she slept with Chrsitian!! (OMG, that's such a big sin. The novel-version Andrea was feeling guilty even though he's only kissed her. See, Hollywood movies are evil and stereotyped!) They changed the boyfriend's name. (why? Alex would be fine.) There was no fourth friend in Andrea's circle, but the addition was fun. Lily wouldn't have given Andrea the look when she saw Christian kissed her in the gallery in the novel - she would have encouraged it if she had the chance beforehand. In the novel, Miranda didn't even show 1/10 of the humanity that was displayed in the movie. She's supposed to be heartless, has no empathy, is often quite hysterical and doesn't care about anyone else except herself, her twins, and the magazine, Runway. [picture on the right... Andrea in my #1 favourite outfit in the movie. And I love the Westwood necklace. um.. it's Westwood, isn't it? Anyway, the whold chic schoolgirl look really suits her.]

The ending was the part that has received the biggest makeover by far. I suppose the director didn't want to show too much of the cruelty in the real world but I think that move has diminished the whole "boss from hell" theme of the novel, and watered down the courage and the difference of Andrea Sachs. Now, everyone in the movie seems to have a little human touch, and the movie is not as depressing (well, the whole slave/sadistic boss issue is of course very depressing). But I guess, the transformed version could somewhat bring out a message, where the novel couldn't and didn't want to - even boss from hell is no devil deep down. Anyway, I much prefer the original ending, um.. actually it's not quite the ending, it's how the relationship between Andrea and Miranda ended.

Nonetheless, it was a fun and enjoyable 110-minutes. I'd probably buy the DVD to keep when it's out. Why not? The $$$$$$$ wardrobe would have been an enough excuse, wouldn't it?

[picture in the right: Andrea in my #2 favourite dress in the movie, when she's scurrying around to get the unpublished Book 7 of Harry Potter.]

[photo source: Yahoo! movies]