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S U N D AY, J U LY 0 2 , 2 0 0 6"The Devil Wears Prada" -- * * 1/2; Streep -- * * * *"The Devil Wears Prada" is a silly, lightweight diversion that showcasesMeryl Streep giving a master class in movie comedy. Herboss-from-hell is a quietly devastating presence who can send shiversdown your spine just by muttering her displeasure in the mostreasonable of tones. A tilt of the head, a look in her eyes, a gentle "No,no; that wasn't a question" and you are helpless with laughter. Notsurprisingly, she isn't a monster but a real character -- Streep deepensher during the movie without sacrificing the character's essentialscariness. An Oscar nomination is a given and since it would be in asupporting role, she might just win, despite the movie's overall lack ofsubstance. My God, it's been 25 years since Streep won for "Sophie'sChoice" -- don't you think she's due? Anne Hathaway plays the newassistant to Streep, a legendary fashion magazine editor. She holds thescreen quite well, proving her star-making turn in "The PrincessDiaries" wasn't a fluke. The movie is a lot of fun -- certainly everymoment with Streep is priceless. Stanley Tucci is also marvelousplaying a gay editor -- he doesn't overplay it for laughs, a temptationthat would have ruined the character if he had been played by mostanyone else. Without giving away plot twists, the movie lost me when itpretended to depict Hathaway selling her soul to succeed in this highpressure job. Since the movie wants us to root for Hathaway, it's tooafraid to actually show her turning into someone unpleasant.Hathaway's friends keep telling her she's changed, but I didn't see it.Also, Adrien Grenier of "Entourage" was a wimpy presence as herboyfriend and Simon Baker (who I normally like) oddly uncompellingas a romantic rival. But none of this matters: Meryl Streep istremendously funny in a performance that is brilliant in its subtletyand flair. I'd work for her in a second.POSTED BY MICHAEL IN NEW YORK AT
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POPSURFING.COM: "The Devil Wears Prada" -- * * 1/2; Stree...http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/07/devil-wears-prada-12-st...
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