Having watched The Devil Wears Prada 2 twice, here are my thoughts.
The worst: The script. Andy has no real character development; it actually regresses her arc from the first film. She mostly just makes phone calls. We’re told she’s writing top-tier pieces, but we never get a sense of a single one. Miranda's wit is gone. She went from Glacial Queen to a softer, almost goofy version of herself, throwing punchlines and making funny faces, almost bordering on physical comedy at times. The costume design isn’t memorable and doesn’t reflect the character's identity or development the way it once did. Madonna's VOGUE montage barely lets the outfits breathe or be appreciated as in the original. Some plot points feel convoluted and overly convenient. Andy’s romantic subplot is totally forgettable and unnecessary. Her assistant adds nothing either. Amari’s potential is wasted.
The best: The cast’s charisma fills the screen and carries a lot of the film. Gaga’s small storyline—hinting at her early, awkward interactions with Anna Wintour—is a nice touch. Bringing the real media crisis into the plot (instead of ignoring it) was a great idea. Some callbacks and fan service land well, the standout being the new car dialogue, where Miranda reflects on the cost of success, along with the meta nod to the real TDWP novel, which ends up being one of the film’s most poignant moments.
Wow DWP2, that was unexpected. I was ready to hate it and at one point, I wasn't sure where the plot's going and then I got emotional toward the end. What the. It made me appreciate the prequel even more 🥰 #TheDevilWearsPrada2#DevilWearsPrada2#TheDevilWearsPrada#TDWP
I had no expectations when I watched Chloé Zhao's Hamnet. All I know was it was an exploration on how grief had shaped his work, Hamlet. By the time Max Richter's On the Nature of Daylight played, I was a total wreck. Bawled my eyes out! #hamnet
“I guess when you are young, you believe that you will meet many people with whom you'll connect with, but later in life you realize it only happens a few times.”
— Before Sunset (2004)