We all have to start somewhere and then work our way up, and that’s what Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) did. A college graduate with a dream to become a journalist, Andrea knew she had to start somewhere. She goes to work for Runway Magazine (a fashion magazine) as the Editor-in-Chief’s second assistant. Working for Editor-in-Chief Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), is not as easy or joyful as taking the first sip of your morning coffee or lying in bed after a long and hard day.
Miranda is the kind of boss who electrifies the entire place just upon entering it. She is not a piece of cake especially with her dry, unchangeable tone that eats you alive. But who are we to blame her; she is the Editor-in-Chief of a well-known magazine, running an entire staff of writers, editors, assistants…etc. She has to be that tough to be that great and worshipped as such.
Working in a place that you think less of, will eventually make you feel that you do not belong where in fact you are doing your best to survive and fit in – or so Andy thought. This is the moment when Andrea’s guardian angel Nigel (Stanley Tucci) – the magazine’s fashion director – steps in, making it clear for her that she was just “whining” and if she really wanted Miranda’s approval she has to work for it and act upon it as well.
The next few lines are going to witness Andrea’s full transformation from nada to Prada, from wearing grandma shoes to Jimmy Choo’s and Chanel boots.
Just like a child, having new toys will only make them abandon the old ones, and that’s what happened to Andy. See, this Northwestern simple girl had a boyfriend named Nate (Adrian Grenier) whose appearance in this movie was a resemblance of the old Andy; the Andy who had no sense in fashion, no desire whatsoever to please anyone and most of all who adored Nate and put him first.
“I had no choice” became Andy’s phrase, ever since she magically succeeded in gaining Miranda’s approval right after the transformation and being always a step ahead. Gaining Miranda’s trust after a series of unfortunate failures only made Andy craving more of this trust. Now, Andy wants to go to Paris for the fashion weekend – the long life dream of the first assistant Emily (Emily Blunt). Moreover, she now has her own entourage and by that I mean her friendship with the sexy New York writer Christian Thompson (Simon Baker) who made his desire to go out with Andy very clear.
The movie starts with Andy hating everything that Miranda resembled, from the mistreatment of her employees, her manipulative ways of pushing other people to get things done, ending with her epic fail in her personal life. However, what Andy did not realize was that she had become a miniature copy of Miranda.
“If you want this life, these choices are necessary”, “Everybody wants this, everybody wants to be us”, “You chose to get ahead” Miranda said. Realizing that she is no different than Miranda and that she became her worst enemy, Andy decides to choose what’s right and walk away from that life-sucking hole she found herself in.
I have read many reviews about this movie, some mentioned that the movie was no more than a rotten piece of cheese and some said it was great. However, the moral side of this movie is far beyond cheesy. See, no one, whoever they are, has control over your life.
It is never easy for a woman to be in a high position so she has to be tough, fearless, and willing to step on every single person to maintain her place. Life is all about choices, if you choose to get head, so be it, but understand that there will be some compromises along the way. This is where a person’s will and morals are tested; this is the point where you consciously make a decision that you will consequently have live to with.
By: Hend Salah
EDITORS: Mennat-Allah Yasser Zohny & Nada Adel Sobhi