After an impromptu get together with other Filipino priests at the Todai Japanese Restaurant in Manhattan last week, we went to the AMC movie house along 42nd Street. There were 20 movies in the offing. Three of us settled for “The Devil Wears Prada”. I was intrigued by the title (I didn’t read the novel and didn’t know that there is a novel with same title). It was literally about fashion as "Prada" denotes. The Movie revolves around the character of a fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly (Merry Streep) and her naive (at least in the beginning) secretary Andy (Anne Hathaway). The office staff were like models themselves with elegant outfit and “skinny bodies”. They would tremble and panic as soon as Miranda arrives the at the office. Miranda acts like “God” (or rather the Devil) as her wish is her staff’s command. Andy on the other hand was a simple journalism graduate who thought that she will be able to maximize her journalistic skills in the Fashion Magazine. Unfortunately, her work was confined into buying meals and coffee for her boss as well as answering the phone. In spite of her seemingly naiveté’s to fashion, she strived to be efficient and eventually became fashion savvy.
Miranda has the penchant of saying “that’s all” without saying the details of what she wants to convey or done. That left Andy puzzled and terrified at first but it helped her strive to become efficient. Miranda’s “that’s all” symbolizes power, elegance and wealth. Andy was being gradually pulled into same trend of thought as her boyfriend Nate (Adrian Granier) says it all “you want to defeat her but you became like her (Miranda)”. But towards the end, it came into Andy’s senses that Miranda doesn’t care about people’s feelings. She doesn’t care if her actuations hurt others so long as she preserves the status of power, elegance and wealth at any cost. Andy realized that becoming like Miranda is becoming like a Devil dressed in Prada, Valentino, Versace, etc. It came into her senses that Miranda doesn’t care about other people’s lives. Thus, her “that’s all is not all at all. Her “that’s all” is limited to her everything. Her “that’s all” doesn’t include others. Her "that’s all" is egoistic rather than altruistic. Miranda knows this but she doesn’t mind so long as she is on top. Andy realizes this and made the right decision- there is more to life than power, elegance and wealth. Many people are like Miranda. Many people are like Andy, as well. The world has gone bad because of people like Miranda. Thus, we need more Andys. We must always bear in mind that a selfish all is not all at all.
If you can't seem to understand what I mean, just watch the movie.:)
G.C. UANAN
14 August 2006
3 comments:
I heard that the Pope is wearing prada too hehehehe :)
....thats all!
Nice one...here is a related article from the Inquirer:
Age Against the Machine : The Devil wears Prada from Greenhills
By Gino dela Paz
Inquirer
Posted date: August 25, 2006
IN THE SIZE 0 universe of serious fashion magazines, editors roost on top of the carb-free food chain, designers act as cultural weathervanes, and models, photographers, and stylists turn the bubble-sleeved fantasy into reality. Of course, reality in this case is just the opposite. Glossies-and the billion-dollar industry built around them are not about who you are, but rather, who you can become. And where are the interns in this impossibly snotty mix? Hmmm. They�re probably writing books about it.
A roman � clef (a fancy term for a novel describing real-life events behind a fa�ade of fiction) from the POV of the lowly-paid-but-most-highly-perked of them all, Lauren Weisberger�s "The Devil Wears Prada" ruffled not a few feather skirts when it first hit the stands in 2004. Some insisted that the main villainess, Miranda Priestly, was based on American Vogue editrix Anna "Nuclear" Wintour; this is a fact that the author quite predictably denied. Boo.
The what ifs
Now a motion picture, the book and its fashion scope have broadened beyond the grasp of a few insiders towards a wider audience. Question is, given fashion�s built-in elitism, can this story about a heroine being bullied by her boss then taking on the world on her own terms fly with those unfamiliar with Dior, Rochas, or Chanel? More importantly, will average Pinoys understand a movie with disguised characters? Ah, there lies the fun.
Don�t look now, but I�m sure local production studios and television networks are already drooling all over themselves cooking up their own "Prada" derivatives to piggyback the trend. But before they come up with their own hard-sell knock-offs, I want to beat them to it by throwing down my own silly, surreal version. Since fashion is the art of endless referencing, I�ve peppered this adaptation with way-too-familiar pop culture references to see exactly what would happen if "The Devil Wears Prada" became a major Pinoy movie.
The setting
A Violet Films opus directed by Joel Lamangan, "The Devil Wears Prada from Greenhills" takes place in a present-day publishing company somewhere in the high-octane business district of Caloocan. Located in a soaring three-story building, the office of the as-yet-unnamed fashion magazine enjoys commanding views of Zanjoe Marudo�s billboard across the street and a bustling FX stop below.
Come fashion week, the action shifts to Boracay, by the ferris wheel in D�Mall, which is a stand-in for the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Transpiring soon after is a killer carousel of shows with models wearing swimsuits from creatively faceless brands and performances by Bamboo, Kitchie Nadal, and the usual indie suspects. Instead of opening with KT Tunstall�s "Suddenly I See" like in "The Devil Wears Prada," the soundtrack of "The Devil Wears Prada from Greenhills" kicks off with "Bebot" by the Black Eyed Peas for a dose of pure, grating senselessness.
The cast
Trapped in social realism mode, the cast of this film will be made to look kawawa as usual to, you know, grab the sympathy of the masa who really, really look forward to confronting the same images of poverty they�re trying to dodge.
Leading the charge is Vilma Santos in the role made popular by Meryl Streep, Miranda Priestly. As the sacred cow at Kislap Magazine, her editorial moodswings trigger climate changes from tiangges in Metrowalk to department stores in Novaliches. In true OTT style, her cowlick is courtesy of Reyes Haircutters, complementing her it bag collection from Secosana, Leonardo, Hawk, and yes, Prada � from Greenhills. Toni Gonzaga plays her first assistant, Phoemily (rhymes with Emily), a dragon lady in the making who picked up a British accent by watching too much Veronica Pedrosa on CNN.
Starring as the intern who initially moves at a glacial pace but quickly picks up after a makeover montage is Samantha Melba. Adjusting to the character inspired by Anne Hathaway�s Andrea Sachs, Sam will rock a classy wig patterned after Claudine Barretto�s bangs in "Milan." His breakthrough role in this movie capitalizes on his sudden ubiquity in Pinoy showbiz, so he is also everyone�s understudy, playing whoever calls in sick and changing facial hair/Bench outfits/physical spasms every time. Or not, which further underscores the farce at hand.
Rounding out the powerhouse dramatis personae are Wilma Doesnt as Giselle Bundchen�s character; Melanie Marquez as editor in chief of Cebu Kislap Jacqueline Jos� (pronounced Zsack-leen Zso-say); and Boy Abunda as Nigel, who in this film is called Bhoy. Acting in minor though equally crucial parts are Piolo Pascual as the insecure boyfriend; Epy Quizon as the gallery curator/best friend; Uma Khouny as the pal who can pronounce Nicholas Ghesquiere�s name correctly; Vic Sotto as the tapered jeans-wearing freelance writer whom Sam sleeps with during a moment of weakness in Boracay; Blakdyak as the emerging James Holt-like designer; the entire Eigenmann clan as the obligatory tisoy bit players; and Maximo Oliveros as the town loka-loka dressed in colors of the Pinoy flag.
Remember, the leitmotif of "The Devil Wears Prada from Greenhills" is fashion with a social conscience, so there must always be a subtle-meaning obvious-symbol of unfortunate Inang Pilipinas in every frame. Right.
The plot
Like David Spade�s "Just Shoot Me" only poor, "The Devil Wears Prada from Greenhills" is a tale about a mousy girl who comes of age after being exposed to a wicked superior, the dazzling lights of Boracay (Station 3), and the power of an ukay outfit. Vilma Santos ignites the screen as a ruthless fashion editor and force majeure at Kislap magazine, Caloocan�s only glossy publication. Her first assistant (Toni Gonzaga) struggles to get on her good-meaning bad-side and interviews another intern after the first two she hired turned out to be less than stellar. She has been desol�e for that snafu ever since.
Along comes an unassuming barrio lass (Samantha Melba) who knows zilch about the publishing business but can belt a mean version of "My Girl." After graduating from university, Sam sees this as a mere stepping-stone to a hotdog endorsement. Showing no awareness about fashion but again, displaying a gift for grooming eyebrows, Sam gets the coveted lackey position "a million girls would kill for."
Vilma nonetheless treats Sam like garbage, commanding her to do seemingly impossible tasks like ordering tapsilog (extra garlic) when Tapa King was still closed, rebooking a return flight via Cebu Pacific when there was a typhoon in Tagbilaran, and finding the unpublished Pugad Baboy manuscript. A clear ploy to make our heroine quit a job that pays dozens of dollars, it, however, didn�t work. Sam soon finds support from one of the magazine�s senior editors (Boy Abunda), who gives Sam full access to the Kislap ukay-ukay.
The ending
With newfound confidence and an improved outlook, Sam now faces a series of conflicts. For one thing, friends notice Sam�s workaholic calendar, which doesn�t leave them opportunities to hang and stuff. As a joke, they hide Sam�s ancient Nokia 3210 just as Vilma was calling again, something that didn�t go down well with our intern. To make matters worse, Vilma leads Sam into stabbing Phoemily (Toni Gonzaga) in the back by offering the trip to Boracay. Sam knows that Phoemily had been dieting for months for the "event of the season," even giving up carbs like her favorite pancit canton with rice, just to fit into a dress from Lanvin, I mean Landmark.
But as Sam is whisked away to Bora with Vilma and sees all the glamour that could be hers, including a hook-up with a sleazy freelance journalist (Vic Sotto), Sam deals with a crossroads that could affect the foreseeable future. The turning point came when, during a tricycle ride home, Vilma tells Sam to stay with her at Kislap, saying "everyone wants to be us," but in Tagalog. To up the "Up yours!" denouement, Sam does not walk out on Vilma and instead, hijacks the plane on their way home, ramming it into the Kislap office while sticking out a size 6 ass, the new fourteen. Maximo Oliveros appears in the frame one last time before they roll out the gag reel and the end credits. Then, having the last laugh, Vilma does a throaty voice over from the beyond.
"That�s all."
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