The Devil Wears Prada 2

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Welp. Not sure I've ever sat on a movie for as long as I have with this. I'm seriously conflicted about how I feel; the following is where I'm at currently, but I will be seeing this again to get a better grasp of how I feel.

"You're not a visionary, you're a vendor."

This line from Miranda Priestly has, quite rightfully, gone a little viral since the release of this film. It's emblematic of the thesis of this film, the grasp that the hands of capitalism have in print media and journalism as an industry which is, and has been, facing ever-shifting changes in the digital age.

These changes often come, not out of a love for journalism, but as survival to adapt to this new media landscape, a landscape which is driven by tech bros who have no interest in journalistic integrity and providing the best for their readers/consumers. Instead, the bottom line is how much money they're able to squeeze out of these legacy institutions, which often comes at the expense of hard-working individuals.

And while the film is getting praise, quite rightly, for opting to tell a story with substance, a story that is hardly seen in a film of this size, let alone a legacy sequel with something to say— a rarity in modern-day cinema. I'm not sure it's really saying anything; instead, much like the quip from Miranda, it's suggesting a problem which is there, letting that quip do the talking instead of investigating it further. It feels like a grabby headline, rather than a substantial article.

The medium is half the message a lot of the time, and I couldn't help but feel this stench of capitalism all over this film. This is certainly an important topic to explore, and interogate, but is this legacy sequel from the House of Mouse, whose sole purpose is to milk as much money as possible from the nostalgia-infected population, really the right vehicle to explore this?

It even feels ironic in the reality of the film: is the quote-unquote Vogue dupe really meant to be the shining beacon of journalism, a publication which has been plagued with issues in our world of perpetuating unrealistic body standards and is a capitalist machine in its own regard? (Not a read specifically of Vogue but more fashion journalism in general).

Pair this with the copious amounts of Diet Coke in every scene - sounds like hyperbole, but try finding a scene without a perfectly placed silver can - you get a product that feels disingenuous in its messaging, and this is before you even unpack the script.

Once you are able to accept the ridiculous way that our core cast is reunited in what is an abysmal opening 20 minutes set to every it girl's summer playlist, the film actually begins to set out its thesis statement.

"What is the role of Runway in the digital age?"

Keep this in mind. The film lays out all of the problems facing a print publication in the modern day. The need for engagement translating to short-form disposable content, far from the thoughtful investigations and articles on which the institution was built, the magazine is no longer a book bought in stores; the physical magazine is perhaps the least important part of Runway. Instead, Runway has to be on every platform possible, optimising each for the most amount of engagement. It's a sinking ship trying to keep up with the modern world by endlessly producing content.

It's clear from all of this set-up though, that the current way of running the magazine will only last so long. Change is necessary...

The film seems averse to change, to explore new territory, and this is even felt in its characters. The new characters who are introduced are an afterthought at best; they serve the role that they must for the plot. Miranda would still have a pair of assistants, and so she does. What are their names, their dreams, desires? Why do they work for her... irrelevant. The film is not concerned with expanding out the world around our core cast. Which is detrimental for the film. Instead of feeling lived in and an evolution of Runway, it feels empty and hollow.

This is further exacerbated by the inclusion of references, which we must have as this is a legacy sequel after all. Some are handled tastefully and actually build up the world the film takes place in, particularly the idea that the Spring fashion show which opens the show is floral-themed. This is a blink and you'll miss it reference, but it informs the state of Runway; in this desperation for engagement they've reverted to something very safe, something Miranda herself had previously mocked. The vast majority are just cheap tricks, look, Andy spotted some belts! She’s wearing cerulean! But now it's stylish.

By far the biggest offender of this refusal to change, however, is in its treatment of its returning cast. Most of whom get very simplistic or non-existent character arcs; in fact, some of them feel like they have failed to change in the time between the first film and where they are now.

While I enjoy Miranda having to navigate this new working world, where her old style is deemed inappropriate, does this have any consequences other than a cheeky line or two? Her actions throughout the years have affected people; you only need to look so far as the people closest to her to see this.

Nigel had this blind loyalty to his job at the beginning of the first film, and he remains this way years later. He has failed to evolve, or we are not privy to the conflict inside him. His mistreatment by Miranda not only happened in the first film but it's alluded to that this continued to happen, so why did he stay at Runway? Why is there no pushback to how he was treated?

It takes Andy to suggest to Miranda that Nigel wants more, to show her how loyal he is, and that story is immediately resolved. It weirdly absolves Miranda of her misgivings. Which is a primary issue I have with this film.

It's pretty definitive that Emily is framed as the opposition in the film, the villainous person who seeks to destroy Runway, but is she really in the wrong? After years of being mistreated by Miranda and having nothing to show for it, she finds a way to seek out the recognition she thinks she deserves, and she does that through what she's learned is perhaps the only way to climb, capitalism.

Emily is a product of the capitalist nightmare she was stuck working in. She had blind loyalty to Miranda, and it led her nowhere. She ends up working in retail, albeit a good position but clearly not what she wanted.

I find this dichotomy between Nigel and Emily strange when viewed through the lens of devotion to Miranda. Nigel, who didn't complain for years, who had the quiet blind loyalty to her, ends up receiving the recognition. Meanwhile, Emily, somebody who tried to move up the ladder without the permission of her tyrannical boss, is punished?

I think there's something buried underneath this that speaks to how power is gatekept from people, and the effects that has on the system of capitalism, but the film isn't concerned with this as it would require framing Miranda as the villain.

The original, while it doesn't fully reject the idea of having devotion to your boss, it does interrogate it. Andy realises that Miranda's behaviours were inappropriate, yet Andy's devotion to her also helped her land her next job.

Speaking of Andy, as much as I love Anne Hathaway and truly think she's one of the best working today, the way she just slipped back into character was a wonder to behold. As far as Andy goes, the film leaves a lot to be desired.

What is Andy's arc, or does she even have an arc? What does she learn in the process of this film? That journalism might be a sinking ship, but climbing aboard whatever Miranda is on is perhaps a good business move. The film doesn’t exactly frame it this way, but isn't that what happens?

She's so absent of any conflict in the film that they have to manufacture a boyfriend out of thin air to give her any sort of scenes with tension, which is so superfulous. The most we get outside of that is her having to make a lot of phone calls in a montage, like surely there’s something more interesting than giving a single older woman a love interest because god forbid she be single.

She is the reason the film reaches the finale it does though... Let's go back to that quote I had earlier. The central question of the film is:

"What is the role of Runway in the digital age?"

The magazine had been struggling to figure out its voice and relevancy for a while and is beholden to higher-ups who seek to drain it for all the money they're able to. This only becomes more problematic when the magazine is under the oversight of a tech-bro billionaire. So what is the solution this film proposes... ah yes, to go ask the good female-POC billionaire instead to own the company as she will let us do what we want...

I genuinely think this is laughably bad. The film spends a lengthy amount of time demonising the billionaires and the lack of care they have for the institution Miranda has helped make into this empire. They lament about the dangers of being beholden to these people who would sooner drop the company if it was beneficial to them, but this billionaire, she's different????? Why?

This ending undoes so much of the commentary the film made, by completely turning its back on it for a glossy, happy ending. Sure, there is a throwaway line where Miranda expresses that Runway isn't saved; it's only saved for now. But the ending would have you thinking differently. As the film pans out to show Miranda, Andy, and Nigel running Runway just as Miranda wanted.

Oh wait, the central question of the movie, the idea that things have to change and evolve in order for the magazine to survive. Oh, that idea is abandoned, in favour of a neat ending. What kind of message is this really signalling to people about the role of people like Miranda, and contrast that with the treatment of Emily in the film; I truly find this so backwards.

The ending of the original showcased how ruthless it was to work under Miranda; she demanded all of your time and for you to sacrifice your personal life in order to achieve greatness. This film says you really may have it all as long as you cling to the right billionaire.

I will say as a huge tie guy, I absolutely adored the fashion in this. I want to own every single thing that Andy wears in this movie.