The Devil Wears Prada vs. Superman Returns

http://www.devilwearspradamovie.com/
http://supermanreturns.warnerbros.com/ (for some reason Blogger was able to publish this post with both links in the "Link" box but now Blogger is giving error messages - so figure 8/8/2007)

Hate it when I have to choose between two movie screenings on the same night but Superman Returns was scheduled at 6:30 PM Chicago time.

Anyone whose done movie screenings before knows how these screenings work: you get to the movie theater waaaayyy beforehand to wait in line so that 1) you can be guaranteed you get IN to see the movie and 2) you get your choice of seating inside the actual theater.

Usually people start showing up around 1 or 2 hours before the screening depending on your schedule and how frequently you attend screenings. Because of work, there would have been no way I could get to the theater early enough to cover the above mentioned criterias.

But there are those who seem to be at every movie screening I go to and after having overheard their conversations, it's apparent that they have access to screenings for just about every movie that is released. They don't seem to be critics who are granted access for professional reasons yet talk about the screenings that they are either 1) planning on going to or 2) want to go to but haven't gotten their passes yet. They talk about it like they are guaranteed entry which not only invokes my jealousy but awe and wonderment as well.

How do they do it? Who do they know that they can get passes for screenings for the asking? And how in the world can I be one of them?

But I guess I do get a decent amount of free movie passes and I am considered the Queen of Movie Passes among my friends so I shouldn't complain, but it's hard not to want access to all the movies, especially since free passes seem to be the only way I get to see new release movies anymore.

Regardless, I ended up seeing "The Devil Wears Prada" and Meryl Streep is her usual amazing self, blowing you away with how flat-out of a b*tch her character is in the movie, with one-liners that I plan on using in the future. But for those of you who may have read the book, you might agree with me that the character Meryl Streep plays, Miranda Priestly, has actually been mellowed from the book version of the character. She actually acknowledges the presence of others occasionally and even displays emotion to Anne Hathaway's character, Andy - all things Miranda Priestly never did in the book. Since I had read the book first, I had hoped that they would have made the Miranda Priestly character more b*tchy and claws-out rude - have fun with the idea of a truly hideously horrible boss that made life, and the work environment, a living hell. But they didn't and I was disappointed.

By focusing on Anne Hathaway's character, Andy, I think alot of the wicked fun and sheer "this can't be my life" absurdity of how alot of jobs are dulls the movie a bit and less enjoyable than it could have been. Don't get me wrong - I love Anne Hathaway. She is stunningly beautiful and I know she can portray the everyday 'retard' aspects that is in all of us well, based on her performance in "The Princess Diaries" and "Ella Enchanted."

Now before you go turning your nose up because those are just 'girlie kiddie' movies, go see them first. It's hard to pull off a movie that has characters that are believable without being overly sickeningly sugary sweet or that you can empathize with in situations that would never ever happen in life. If it had only been in one movie I might have passed off the achievement more to the director and writers but she has done it twice with two different directors and writers, which leads me to conclude that Anne Hathaway's ability has as much to do with it as any director or script. But despite my belief in Anne Hathaway's acting ability, I ended up disliking her character when I watched the movie, probably because I was expecting her character to be more like it was in the book. Instead, Andy came off as bland and lifeless with a need-to-please attitude and the method by which the movie made her "discover" herself was trite; it was beneath the character of Andy and the abilities of Anne Hathaway.

Despite my feelings many reviews and articles have focused on the Miranda Priestly character and the fact that Meryl Streep has managed yet again to pull off great acting. The box office take also seems to attest to the fact that audiences seem to have liked the movie. Me? I say go for the quippy one-liners and the fashion (if you're a fashion person) but otherwise wait for the dvd and the comfort of your own home.