The Devil Wears Prada

Anne Hathaway, right, takes the heat from Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.

Herald rating: * * * *

Tradition has it the book is better than the movie. It's the other way around in The Devil Wears Prada. Movies need to scrap the superfluous bits, and there were many in Lauren Weisberger's novel, written after a stint working for US Vogue editor Anna Wintour. It's bye-bye to the alcoholic best friend.

Instead, Sex & the City director David Frankel focuses on the three characters who matter most. The first is the fashion. S&TC stylist Patricia Field is to thank for the playfulness of the wardrobe, even if the Devil in the title isn't as fabulous as she could be.

The second is Anne Hathaway as the goofy but likeable Andy, who takes a job at a high falutin' fashion rag in the hope it will eventually land her a writing gig at a serious newspaper. Hathaway is almost too good-looking to play a frumpster but part of the fun is watching her stride out in an ever-increasing number of chic, designer outfits.

The third is the wickedly smart Meryl Streep as her editor, Miranda Priestly, who has the power to topple Andy's self-confidence with a blank glance, condemn a top designer's collection to the bargain bins with a curl of her lip and send her minions into a frenzy whenever she shows up at the office.

Streep must have felt the need to breathe humanity into a character that was almost cartoonishly evil on the page. In one scene she lets her guard down and it's actually possible to like her. But it takes genuine talent to send a shudder down the spine, simply by cooing Miranda's catchphrase, "That's all." She's somehow more sadistic when she speaks with the gentleness of a new mother: "I said, 'Take a chance: hire the smart, fat girl."

It's not just Miranda who bites. Her uptight assistant Emily (Emily Blunt) and deadpan stylist Nigel, (Stanley Tucci) weigh in with some of the film's funniest lines.

All of which makes this an easily digested spoof, in the style of a grown-up Mean Girls. Andy's seduction by a world she initially rejects as superficial gives the film depth. And with its strong ensemble cast, witty script and eye-candy apparel, The Devil Wears Prada is the hottest trend of the season.

Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker
Director: David Frankel
Running time: 109 minutes
Rating: PG
Screening: Village, Hoyts, Rialto
Verdict: A witty look at the hostile yet seductive world of high fashion, featuring an indomitable Meryl Streep