Twenty years have passed; the fashion and publishing worlds have evolved, but Miranda Priestly's wardrobe remains unchanged. The eagerly awaited sequel to the beloved mid-2000s Manhattan romantic comedy, which chronicled the exploits of aspiring serious writer and wide-eyed novice Andrea "Andy" Sachs (Anne Hathaway), has finally arrived. Fresh out of college from a flyover state, Andy stumbled into a role at iconic New York fashion magazine Runway, overseen by the intimidating and amusingly named Miranda Priestly, portrayed by Meryl Streep. In this follow-up, Miranda appears ageless, as does Nigel (Stanley Tucci), still serving as her loyal, worldly, and privately melancholic second-in-command.
A New Chapter for Andy
Andy returns after being laid off by a Jeff Bezos-esque figure from the upmarket broadsheet where she had been winning accolades for her excessively serious yet tedious articles. Unable to decline a Faustian offer to become features editor at Runway, she discovers a transformed landscape. The magazine no longer enjoys the lavish budgets of yesteryear; it must awkwardly distance itself from sweatshop labour and is beleaguered by the pursuit of clicks and views in a fickle digital realm dominated by a tasteless teenage audience. Miranda now pays lip service to body positivity and the rejection of heteronormativity in the workplace, receiving lessons in correct terminology from her new assistant Amari (Simone Ashley). She even endures flying economy class.
Entertainment Value and Shortcomings
This sequel is enjoyable, though hampered by Andy's perplexingly dull and chemistry-free romance with an uninteresting Australian real estate tycoon (a lacklustre role for Patrick Brammall, known for TV's Colin from Accounts). Miranda's latest submissive partner, a lead violinist in a string quartet, is played by Kenneth Branagh in a bizarre casting choice. The film also features numerous star cameos, typically a warning sign, but they are handled reasonably well here. However, the much-anticipated cameo of Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor who inspired Priestly, is absent.
The haughty prerogative has shifted to Andy's former nemesis, the ice queen of aspirational couture and Miranda's ex-top assistant Emily, now head of Dior. She calls the shots and astutely notes that ultra-luxury brands for the 0.1% are recession-proof. Emily Blunt reprises her role with flair and delivers many witty lines.
Return of the Old Team
It is a delight to see most of the original cast return, including screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel. (I recall my grumpy and obtuse initial reaction to the first film, only to later watch it on television and have an epiphany about its brilliance.) The film is very amusing when Miranda fails to remember Andy at all. Or does she? Justin Theroux is entertaining as Emily's grinningly daft yet sinister plutocrat boyfriend, Benji.
The movie revisits new versions of the first film's beats: Andy chatting with Nigel in the cafeteria; Nigel selecting an outfit for ungrateful Andy, this time for a trip to Miranda's Hamptons residence; Andy visiting a fashion capital (Milan); Andy frantically engaging in backstairs schemes to shield Miranda from a wicked corporate takeover. For Devil Wears Prada enthusiasts, there is even a reappearance of Andy's awful blue polyblend sweater that Nigel found so exasperating in the original. This is good-natured, buoyant entertainment that wears well. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is released on 30 April in Australia and 1 May in the UK and US.
