The Devil Wears Prada 2: With a Defanged Miranda, What's Left?

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26:33And a scene like Miranda having to sit with the common folk touches on this, the wealth gap notion, right? It existed in 2006 and that it's even more of a reality now in the United States in particular, right? Is this something that a movie like this needs to tackle? You know, probably not for what it's trying to do. Does it touch on it? It actually does a fair amount in scenes like you've talked about. How about the early scene where Emily is, she's now working for Miranda, but she's trying to do serious pieces for the magazine. And so Andy asks a question about the cost of luxury purses, right?

27:13And it's kind of making a point of like, well, they're pushed on people who can't afford them and creating this sort of this need or this want. And so I was like, oh, that's interesting. Is anything going to be done with that? maybe 10, 15 minutes later, there's this long section where Andy is wooed by going to Miranda's house at the Hamptons. And that whole sequence, the celebrity cameos, it's wealth porn. It's status porn, basically. Yes. Right?

27:43Adam Kempenaar:Yes. And I'm just thinking here, what is this movie saying about any of this? And I don't think it's saying much. And I had a similar issue with the first film, the moments here about Miranda's language and calling out, you know, using the wrong language for plus size models or whatever. The first film tried to have it both ways with all these jokes about how quote unquote fat Andy was, even though her, the size that, you know, she was, was completely well below average for the American woman. Right. So I kept thinking for the first film and then watching some of this stuff for this one, it's not hypocritical.

28:24What is it these elements about these movies that bother me. And it's that they're, the word I finally stumbled upon is they're mealy mouthed. They're just kind of like, they've got something in their mouth and they're just kind of like, you know, sort of half chewing on it. And you know, it, it dribbles out with a thought this way here and dribbles out with a thought that way there. I think it was more a problem in the first film. I think it's still a problem here. Didn't completely derail it for me, but just worth considering now that we're watching this movie, these characters 20 years later.

28:55But I think it is connected to what you're talking about. And at the same time, I want to maybe argue against myself here and defend it a little bit because I was actually glad it at least touched on a few notions like fast fashion or like corporate restructuring and how that is dealt with or the nods to the implosion of journalism. I mean, is any of this really wrestled with? No, but I think, I think the corporate restructuring thing and the journalism thing are at least given fair screen time and used as a little more than plot points. And at least gave me something to think about, even though the primary charm was the interaction among the three leads.

29:42Adam Kempenaar:Yeah, I think that's all fair. And to your point earlier about wealth porn, Andy at one point upgrades her apartment. And here I'll be Mr. Fact Checker and say that I don't care what newspaper she was working for and how successful it was and how many awards she won. if she only doubled her salary, there's no world in which she buys that apartment or she starts renting that apartment. Okay. In New York, no, no universe where that happens. But as viewers, it feels like the movie entirely wants us to root for her to, to upgrade and get that new place. Of course we do. And here's the problem with that.

30:25Here's the problem with that though. Adam is like any viewer is too smart for that. Like the, this, they should know this. This is, this was the joke with friends like what 30 years ago that the friends held there, you know, so it's just something that you just can't do at this point.

30:41Adam Kempenaar:Yeah. She needed 2000 % raise. There's just no, exactly. There's no possibility. So I said, I would get into the, to the sequel stuff a little bit and at least our family members will know what I'm talking about here. I wonder if you thought about this at all. Apparently not because you, even though you have a tempered reaction, you liked it more than I did. But in our recent Ask Us Anything bonus content, we addressed a question from a family member about the length of movies, especially Hollywood movies these days. And I think you kind of threw out just at the end, you put a closer on there about how, look, if Citizen Kane, which we just talked about on the show can get it all done in an hour and 59 minutes, then what excuse to some of these other movies have?

31:29Adam Kempenaar:And of course, how long is the devil wears Prada too? I'm sure you looked at the runtime. It's an hour 59 baby. And so I don't know if I should give it credit for everything it squeezes in, in an hour 59 or penalize it for packing in so much that it actually has to hit an hour 59. And as I said, as far as sequels go, there are some recently, certainly over the past few years that commit many more sins, and this is far more watchable. But I think that there are some common sins on the screen here. There is, you said it in the setup, there is so much plot here. There's the bagging the white whale interview.

32:14Adam Kempenaar:I'm not even going to touch on some things. There's the bagging the white whale interview. you. There's a billionaire's death. There's the management consultants that you mentioned. And I take your point and I'm not going to really argue with you, except I am going to say that for a movie that this will go back to the veracity part for a movie that at least positions itself in this real world of clickbait and corporate takeovers and media mergers and journalists being axed. Almost none of those people, really none of those people talk or act like real management consultants. There's nothing they say or do.

32:49Adam Kempenaar:Of course not. It sounds like any of those people would behave. The first movie went to Paris. This one, of course, is going to go to Milan. There's even an almost with the music to tipping you off to this. There's almost a James Bond like secret plot at one point. And then and then the bloat, all the cameos. And I know I know that part of the fun here with these movies. I do understand it. And you heard me speak earlier to how much I loved that dress. I genuinely love that dress. I really do. Part of the fun is the fashion and seeing all these characters in these dresses. And there's plenty of it here.

33:29Adam Kempenaar:But did we really need an entire montage in Milan, like three minutes in Milan of our main characters just coming and going out of hotels and out of cars and up escalators or whatever in different outfits and different outfits. It's just, that's just fashion porn beyond the fashion porn that the entire movie already is functioning as. And you know what we really don't need? I, I have to assume you agree with me on this though. You haven't, you haven't hinted at it yet. What we really didn't need that just adds more to the plot and more to the runtime, the romance talk about playing the hits. You got to have a boyfriend.

34:07Adam Kempenaar:You got to go overseas. You got to have a fashion montage. There are just certain expectations and boxes. This movie, it seems felt like it had to hit. Well, let me say, and one of the things I was going to propose to you, although we've spent an awful lot of time, so I don't know if we want to go through this entirely, but I thought let's do, this speaks to your point of how bloated this thing is. Let's do a supporting cast rundown. They get a plus, they get a minus, or they get a benign. There are so many supporting players in this thing. Too many for us to do this, but let's just do it related to your point here.

34:47Patrick Bramill, as Peter, the contractor of that easily attainable building that Andy moves into, he's built it out. I considered him a plus, Adam. I was happy whenever he showed up. I think he might be the Australian. I was unfamiliar with him before. I think he might be the Australian Chris O'Dowd, who I believe was the Irish in Bridesmaids. What do we say? Was he the Irish Paul Rudd? I don't know. He was something like that in Bridesmaids. Just a delight. You were happy whenever he showed up to be the charming love interest. Patrick Bramall here, I was happy. And I thought Hathaway's great with him.

35:25I thought their scenes were sweet. I thought it was great that she was meeting somebody. I could have easily cut, I don't know. I really like BJ Novak you know oh really no loved him in the office that's a big that's a big minus he was no he was a minus he was a minus can I go back to Bramwell for a second okay yeah yeah I can

35:44Adam Kempenaar:be conflicted on this I think you're conflating two things and that is I've never seen him before on screen I agree with you loved every time he showed up on screen as a presence liked their chemistry liked him as a performer that works. I still though, overall don't think that entire subplot really is an advantage to the film. I mean, you know, it's, it's, it's building out Andy's life and there's just a lot more I could have trimmed before I would have gotten to that actually. So yeah, yeah. I, let's not go through all the characters. There's, there's just too many, but I think overall there's, there's, yeah.

36:25If you had rethought some excise some, this movie would have been better off. Can I give a little praise though, to Tucci, um, who, you know, I think is kind of one of those actors you just know will give you something when they show up that you'll be glad they popped on the screen. And that's particularly the case here in the devil wears Prada movies. I thought he got an incredibly nice moment here. And it's actually related to the scene I picked from, you know, with Streep talking about, you know, work and how much she loves work. Uh, this is where Andy comes in to tell him that runway, the magazine is going to be gutted by BJ Novak as the, you know, succession style air who's, who's taking things apart.

37:12And she brings this news to him. He's the art director while he's looking over a bunch of photos on a table and, um, trying to make some decisions over which ones they want to use. And she says what, you know, he's, he's pretty calm about this news and she's like demanding more of a reaction from him. And he just says, you know what I think? I think I like the bag cross body. Yes. That's what I think.

37:33Adam Kempenaar:It's a nice, nice moment of writing and acting. Yes. Yes. And he, he circles the photo he chooses and goes on. And it just, it did. I think this is one of the elements where I think the media landscape consideration, it's still in a fantasy world, but it does hit some nice beats there. Because he's just saying at the end of the day, when you have no power, it's still about the work that you love. That's it. And especially in a creative field, it's going to be crushing, but it might not kill you if you still find a way to do this creative work that you love. And I just thought that was a moment where Tucci did more than come in with a, you know, a witty one liner, um, that makes us chuckle.

38:12I think he, he does some good work here.

38:14Adam Kempenaar:That's it. I had the same response. It's him reflecting the only thing he can do, what he has always done, which is focus on the work, but it is also as well. It's, it's double. He doesn't want to let his guard down in front of Andy. He, he has to maintain the Nigel facade of always being in control. And that's why as soon as she leaves, we do get him letting his guard down a little bit and kind of slumping in the chair and showing that he is taking this hard. And so that's why I think that moment works on a couple of different levels. I think maybe we should leave this review letting everybody just hang in suspense on thumbs down, thumbs up, or benign on Josh's reaction to Justin Thro.

39:00Adam Kempenaar:Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't betray anything, Josh. can i betray that i didn't realize it was justin thoreau until probably i don't know his fourth his fourth scene it took me a while too because i didn't realize that was his forehead yeah and it still might not be because i don't know how much makeup was involved but yes it did that's true it did take me a while as well i do you want to hear my my one thought related to a supporting character that made me angry? Is this spoiler? I love that we're going to do spoiler content with The Devil Wears Prada too. So I want to make sure. I've been waiting to have someone explain the movie to me so I could figure it out.

39:43Adam Kempenaar:Yeah, we're going to unpack the plot to The Devil Wears Prada finally. And there's so much of it. Are we good? Are we ready to move on? Actually, you joke, but there were things I had to clarify afterwards where I was like, I'm sure. Who was that again? And why? And yeah, the one thing in terms of the storytelling I have to say is, and because I'm very proud of this phrase that I came up with when I was writing my review, you realize this whole movie, the whole predicament is solved by a Lou Ex Machina. A Lou Ex Machina. Yeah, it probably works better in print. Well done. Anyway, yeah. So let's do your spoiler.

40:16Adam Kempenaar:Okay, so we're ending the review proper. Write in. Tell us your thoughts about the movie. We know lots of people are seeing it. We know lots of people are liking it. You can tell me that I have impeccable taste in clothes, but not movies. I'm being too hard on the Devil Wears Prada 2. Feedback at filmspotting.net or feedback at filmspotting.com. Yes, that's right. We're going to start transitioning to the new email address if people can handle it. Like Runway Magazine. We're just blazing into the new media era. That's it. Okay, so the one part of this film where I just said, I'm mostly okay with all this sequel crap.

40:58Adam Kempenaar:And what I mean is, yes, I articulated that I was aware of it. It was weighing the movie down for me, but it wasn't completely ruining the experience for me like a lot of sequels, like is the case with a lot of sequels. the one moment where I just said, oh man, you're just, you're, you're just spoiling it. You're waving the flag. You're making it too obvious. What's, what's happening here. The trick is for a movie like this to make you forget, at least for parts, for sections that you're watching a product intended for mass consumption. And it just, it set fire to that notion in the penultimate scene, I think.

41:41Adam Kempenaar:And it's the reconciliation between Andy and Emily, who was played by Emily Blunt. Makes no sense on any level. Maybe the only surprising turn in this script, Josh, was making Emily Blunt's character, Emily, a backstabbing villain. I thought in the moment, I can't believe they, the filmmakers, were willing to make Emily Blunt, one of this trifecta, one of the bankable stars of this movie, hateable. They're all stars and they're all beloved characters. That's partly why they're remaking this film is they've got these three stars. They are all in their own way to borrow a term from this scene. They are all in their own way because of this first movie, iconic characters.

42:39Adam Kempenaar:And what you realize watching that scene is that the only function, the only purpose for that scene is that they couldn't do it. They couldn't stick to they couldn't have their conviction. They couldn't let the audience leave the theater having negative thoughts or hating Emily. Emily the character or Emily Blunt the actress, which I think fans of the movie would. I think fans of the movie would actually use this against Emily Blunt the actress, but certainly Emily the character. They had to leave open, certainly, the potential for a third movie with the star power of the entire trio behind it, promoting the movie and everything that comes with that.

43:27Adam Kempenaar:And they need Emily, that character, to be part of the trio. They need her to be part of the gang with Andy and Miranda. She can't be on the outside looking in. She can't be exiled like we think she is at the point of the reconciliation scene. And as you as you already said, nothing about the scene based on where we're at in the movie, nothing about the scene itself is is believable in any way, including that Andy would. I know Andy's portrayed the way Hathaway portrays her and she's written. She's a little naive. She's overly earnest and sincere. She's a little prone to forgiveness. But even with all of that said, I did not buy in this moment that Andy would so easily forgive her.

44:12Adam Kempenaar:And you just see through it. I think anybody watching it can see through it, that they just couldn't leave. They couldn't end the movie on a note where viewers didn't like Emily. Wow. I didn't even think about, you know, the reasoning and the strategizing about a third movie behind that. But you're probably right. Yeah, it just it doesn't work on a character level for either of them. A plot level, really. it doesn't work at all. Maybe the only thing I liked about it related to the mealy mouth jabs about, you know, eating and weight and everything in the first film, at least here, the two of them eat some carbs.

44:49Emily makes a joke about it, but they're, they're eating some bread together. Whereas, you know, the, the, the first film ends with poor Andy at a breakfast diner, meeting her boyfriend. And like, she's not even having a single thing in front of her on the table so so they're at least starting to allow the characters to eat here at the end of prodigy

45:09Adam Kempenaar:i wonder josh i'm gonna go with my theory here i wonder if they actually tested it and audiences hated and that was one of their notes that they hated leaving emily in that way and they read and they shot it and added because josh here's another bit of evidence maybe emily blunt's hair had changed color for another movie and that's why i have she has different color hair and Andy addresses it and says nice hair maybe that's why I mean it's totally possible and who knows what test audiences want but I do I do think we should give general audiences and fans of these movies credit in that I I actually think they would relish if Emily turned villainess and that propelled a third movie in which she was I mean it's like turn her into full Miranda, you know, make her that character.

46:02And, oh, I'm going to stop talking because if they aren't planning a three, I think I'm putting some great ideas out there. And I don't know if I need

46:10Adam Kempenaar:that to happen. I could be Josh more inclined to give audiences that credit, but I definitely don't give studio executives that credit. I don't think they'd, they'd be comfortable enough or confident enough to leave the movie on that note with that. We'll leave you on. Yeah. We'll leave you on this note, let us know your thoughts about The Devil Wears Prada 2 and tune in Friday for our top five Meryl Streep scenes. It doesn't sound like any scenes from this movie or maybe The Devil Wears Prada 1 are going to make the cut, Josh. I mean, let's be fair. There is a lot of competition. That is true.

46:50We will have more film spotting coming tomorrow. Email us if you've seen The Devil Wears Prada. Two, whether you agree or disagree, send those to feedback at filmspotting.net or I understand now feedback at filmspotting.com. For Film Spotting, I'm Josh Larson.

47:07Adam Kempenaar:And I'm Adam Kempinar. Thanks for listening. This conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.

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