In the grand scheme of things, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” only took 20 years to come to fruition.
And I’ll readily admit that when the original movie fame out in 2006, I was far too concerned with graduating high school than much else.
However, I saw the first film several times through the years and found myself understanding the main character’s plight as I dealt with my own share of horrible bosses.
This sequel mostly glosses over the 20-year gap with vague references and not much substance.
But, it’s still a journalism movie draped in haute couture with the hopes of keeping a fashion magazine icon afloat.
Prada 2 is an American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel and written by Aline Brosh McKenna.
As a sequel to the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, it has Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci reprising their roles, with Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, Tibor Feldman, B.J. Novak, and Kenneth Branagh joining the cast.
The movie itself clocks in at 119 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for strong language and some suggestive references.
Two decades after leaving her position as an assistant at Runway magazine, Andrea “Andy” Sachs (Hathaway) has become a respected reporter in New York.
However, her entire newsroom is abruptly laid off by text during an awards banquet with her colleagues.
Meanwhile, Miranda Priestly (Streep), Andy’s old Runway boss, is under fire for failing to vet a puff piece about a brand using sweatshop labor.
To improve the magazine’s respectability, Irv Ravitz (Feldman), the owner of Runway’s parent company Elias-Clarke and Miranda’s boss, hires Andy as the features editor without her consent.
An uncharacteristically listless Miranda has trouble navigating modern fashion media.
Although some of her tyrannical office behaviors remain, HR complaints have blunted her imperiousness.
Miranda’s right-hand man Nigel Kipling (Tucci) explains that nobody reads Runway’s print edition anymore and the brand has been forced to embrace online clickbait and cheaply-made short-form content to maintain profit and relationships with advertisers.
One key advertiser is Dior, which employs Andy’s former co-worker Emily Charlton (Blunt).
During a crucial negotiation meeting, Andy senses tension between Emily and Miranda.
Emily leverages the controversy over the Runway puff piece to secure her own feature story on Dior’s Manhattan expansion, which Miranda assigns to Andy.
During the interview, Emily and Andy argue about how modern fashion raises prices and shuts out middle-class consumers.
After writing serious articles that gain minimal traction, Andy rescues her standing at Runway by brokering a coveted interview with Sasha Barnes (Liu), the reclusive divorcee of a Silicon Valley billionaire.
Irv promises to make Miranda Elias-Clarke’s global head of content, but unfortunately dies at his own birthday party before making the promotion official.
His son Jay (Novak) lacks Irv’s sentimental attachment to either fashion or Runway.
Jay puts Miranda’s promotion on hold while he brings in management consultants to recommend cost cuts.
To Andy’s surprise, Miranda bears with it and continues doing her job.
Meanwhile, Andy’s relationship with her new boyfriend Peter (Brammall) sours when she unintentionally insults his job as an apartment renovator while fretting she may lose her own position.
During Milan Fashion Week, Nigel throws what may be his last big Runway gala starring Lady Gaga.
Naturally, things get worse for Andy during Fashion Week, but ultimately, everything turns out alright in the end.
Overall, I enjoyed the sequel and its commitment to its fan base and with continuing to promote journalism and fashion all in one go.
