Prediction: 3 Supporting Oscar Nods for TDWP
Saw "The Devil Wears Prada" this morning. Perfect summer movie, meaning it was lightweight, fun, nasty in all the right places and just a very good time. And I was the only person in the theatre it was being shown in, so I felt like I had my own personal screening room. (No I did not belch or scratch certain areas of my body just cuz I was alone...)
Anne Hathaway played the....um..."Anne Hathaway" role in an earnest and appealing manner. Since she is, well, Anne Hatheway. But the actors who kept this clever, fast moving, laugh out loud script humming were the supporting cast.
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Meryl Streep is clearly the **STAR** of the film, being The Devil aka Miranda Priestly, editor of a "Vogue" style fashion magazine titled "Runway", but her Oscar Nomination will certainly be in the Supporting category. It would be too much of a slap in young Ms. Hathaway's face for the producers to push for a Leading Role nomination.
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Andy Sachs (the Anne Hathaway character): You look so skinny!
Emily (Miranda's first assistant and hoping to be taken to France by Miranda): Really? Thanks. I'm on this new diet for Paris. I don't eat anything... and then when I feel like I'm about to faint, I eat a cube of cheese.
(later) Emily: I'm one stomach flu away from reaching my goal weight.
Emily, Miranda Priestly's first assistant, is played by the young British actress Emily Blunt. I think she is this year's Amy Adams (if you haven't seen "Junebug", please do. And off that film Adams has much more work coming out soon). Desperately desperately afraid of failing the boss she despises yet worships, Emily attempts to put recent hire Andy in her place from the moment they meet. But being that Andy has the lead role in the film, I think Emily (no last name given) would have been smart to buddy up, though that would have left out many delicious facial expressions, nervous habits, bulging eye stares of disbelief, and the wonderment of listening to Emily's strange middle-class-but-trying-to-come-across-as-upper-class British accent. Just terrific stuff from Blunt, who has done a bit of tv work but no major US films. Hope her accent doesn't hold her back from bigger (though I can hardly expect better) roles.
Even in a weak year for American film, I would be surprised if she got a nomination, though can't imagine many better supporting performances being released in 2006.
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Stanley Tucci plays the role of Nigel (again, no last name given), who appears to be second in charge at "Runway". The part is clearly supposed to be gay, but thankfully director David Frankel allows an actor of the highest quality to do with it what he will. Which is play Nigel as a completely NON flaming art director who is at ease in the world of women's fashion without the mannerisms associated with the usual gay screen stereotypes. Tucci does a great job, and it's about time as I don't know of anything interesting he's done since 2000's "Joe Gould's Secret", which Tucci directed and starred in.
Potential Oscar nod number three for Mr. Tucci in the Best Supporting Actor category.
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Other standouts:
Simon Baker as the "you know he's too good to be true" writer.
Daniel Sunjata plays a designer with big dreams.
Stephanie Szostak as Miranda's rival, Jacqueline Follet, though she has few lines.
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A final note. Adrian Grenier should thank his lucky stars that buddy Frankel was directing. They worked together on "Entourage". I just can't imagine Grenier having to audition for this part. On an open casting call, I am certain there would be a hundred better "intelligent hunks" who could have played his boyfriend role with at least a touch of charisma and sexiness. Not sure if Grenier was ever a model, and he may be too old now, but man, he is no leading man. Apparently Frankel or the studio sliced out a good bit of his part prior to release. Thankfully. The editor and others involved in the final cut must have realized "more "Runway" and less "Andy's real life" would make for a better film.
"The Devil Wears Prada" now hold the crown for "Best film I've seen this summer." Though that only makes two. And I plan on seeing "World Trade Center" and "An Inconvenient Truth" soon. I don't think either will match up to Miranda Priestly though.
That's all.
Anne Hathaway played the....um..."Anne Hathaway" role in an earnest and appealing manner. Since she is, well, Anne Hatheway. But the actors who kept this clever, fast moving, laugh out loud script humming were the supporting cast.
--------------------------------------------------
Meryl Streep is clearly the **STAR** of the film, being The Devil aka Miranda Priestly, editor of a "Vogue" style fashion magazine titled "Runway", but her Oscar Nomination will certainly be in the Supporting category. It would be too much of a slap in young Ms. Hathaway's face for the producers to push for a Leading Role nomination.
-----------------------------------------------------
Andy Sachs (the Anne Hathaway character): You look so skinny!
Emily (Miranda's first assistant and hoping to be taken to France by Miranda): Really? Thanks. I'm on this new diet for Paris. I don't eat anything... and then when I feel like I'm about to faint, I eat a cube of cheese.
(later) Emily: I'm one stomach flu away from reaching my goal weight.
Emily, Miranda Priestly's first assistant, is played by the young British actress Emily Blunt. I think she is this year's Amy Adams (if you haven't seen "Junebug", please do. And off that film Adams has much more work coming out soon). Desperately desperately afraid of failing the boss she despises yet worships, Emily attempts to put recent hire Andy in her place from the moment they meet. But being that Andy has the lead role in the film, I think Emily (no last name given) would have been smart to buddy up, though that would have left out many delicious facial expressions, nervous habits, bulging eye stares of disbelief, and the wonderment of listening to Emily's strange middle-class-but-trying-to-come-across-as-upper-class British accent. Just terrific stuff from Blunt, who has done a bit of tv work but no major US films. Hope her accent doesn't hold her back from bigger (though I can hardly expect better) roles.
Even in a weak year for American film, I would be surprised if she got a nomination, though can't imagine many better supporting performances being released in 2006.
-----------------------------------------------------
Stanley Tucci plays the role of Nigel (again, no last name given), who appears to be second in charge at "Runway". The part is clearly supposed to be gay, but thankfully director David Frankel allows an actor of the highest quality to do with it what he will. Which is play Nigel as a completely NON flaming art director who is at ease in the world of women's fashion without the mannerisms associated with the usual gay screen stereotypes. Tucci does a great job, and it's about time as I don't know of anything interesting he's done since 2000's "Joe Gould's Secret", which Tucci directed and starred in.
Potential Oscar nod number three for Mr. Tucci in the Best Supporting Actor category.
-----------------------------------------------------
Other standouts:
Simon Baker as the "you know he's too good to be true" writer.
Daniel Sunjata plays a designer with big dreams.
Stephanie Szostak as Miranda's rival, Jacqueline Follet, though she has few lines.
-----------------------------------------------------
A final note. Adrian Grenier should thank his lucky stars that buddy Frankel was directing. They worked together on "Entourage". I just can't imagine Grenier having to audition for this part. On an open casting call, I am certain there would be a hundred better "intelligent hunks" who could have played his boyfriend role with at least a touch of charisma and sexiness. Not sure if Grenier was ever a model, and he may be too old now, but man, he is no leading man. Apparently Frankel or the studio sliced out a good bit of his part prior to release. Thankfully. The editor and others involved in the final cut must have realized "more "Runway" and less "Andy's real life" would make for a better film.
"The Devil Wears Prada" now hold the crown for "Best film I've seen this summer." Though that only makes two. And I plan on seeing "World Trade Center" and "An Inconvenient Truth" soon. I don't think either will match up to Miranda Priestly though.
That's all.
posted by joe sweeney at 4:17 PM
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