The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a graduate of Northwestern’s journalism school, takes a job as a personal assistant for Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the notoriously difficult chief editor of a famed fashion magazine. The demanding job challenges her professionally and personally.
Hathaway is at her best as the plucky underdog; Stanley Tucci has been one of my favorite actors since he played Richard Cross, and he’s great as Miranda’s loyal art director, Nigel; Emily Blunt is over the top annoying as Andy’s co-worker Emily Charlton, and Simon Baker is serviceable as Christian Thompson, the temptation who thwarts Andy’s happiness.
However, the movie was destined to live or die with Meryl Streep’s performance as the bitch in high heels inspired by Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Fortunately, she makes Miranda’s cold logic seem strangely likable and, in the end, I found myself rooting for Miranda to keep her job; I wanted the bitch to win.
This is a good movie which explores the cost of success. Miranda Priestly rose to power through a combination of ruthlessness and talent and maintains her position through the same tactics. Unlike other biographical films of powerful people, this movie asks if it was worth it.
North Country (2005)
Single mom Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) takes a job at the iron mines and fights for acceptance from her mostly male coworkers. Her father, Hank (Richard Jenkins), is torn between a desire to protect his daughter and his own sense of right and wrong, while her struggle awakens long dormant feelings of neglect and disenfranchisement in her mother, Alice (Sissy Spacek).
A movie about a class action sexual harassment lawsuit doesn’t sound entertaining, but it was because of the stellar cast.
Frances McDormand is exceptional as Glory Dodge one of Josey’s coworkers suffering from ALS and Jeremy Renner’s brief turn as asshole misogynist Bobby Sharp effectively underscores the dramatic tension.
Woody Harrelson was so effortless as Woody Boyd, it’s hard not to associate him with the role, but since Cheers ended he’s been in projects as diverse as Natural Born Killers (1994), The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), Kingpin (1996), The Messenger (2009), Zombieland (2009), and True Detective. His talent and versatility shouldn’t be doubted and he’s great as Bill White, Josey’s reluctant attorney.
It’s impossible to imagine someone could smear feces in a women’s bathroom without facing immediate consequences, but this was not always the case. Thirty years ago, attitudes about the role of women were markedly different and efforts to change those attitudes were met with hostility. Movies like this help us remind us how far we’ve come.
Cinderella Man (2005)
Jim Braddock’s unusual rise to become world champion in 1935 reminds us possibility and probability are often at odds. This uplifting movie about perseverance, promise keeping, and the value of a strong support system is a better film than Ron Howard’s previous Oscar-winning collaboration with Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind (2001).
Crowe has never been more likable than as Braddock, and his chemistry with Renee Zelwegger who plays his supportive wife Mae is so natural I was surprised to learn they never dated.
Even in the Howard Stern biopic Private Parts (1997), it was obvious Paul Giamatti had a long career ahead of him. He’s entrancing as Braddock’s manager Joe Gould.
With this film, Apollo 13 (1995), Frost Nixon (2008) and Rush (2013), Ron Howard demonstrates a unique ability to distill the essence of a historical person or event into a two-hour film.