Am I the only one that thinks she is not the devil wearing Prada?
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The4401st — 16 years ago(February 17, 2010 01:07 PM)
I think people like to think that she is exactly like Miranda because, like the author of the book, it's more entertaining for them to have a villainess to boo at than an accurate picture of the real person, someone you could empathise with.
I didn't watch this expecting to find a confirmation of how 'evil' certain people believe she is; I watched it because I read the book, watched the movie, and when I found out it was supposedly based on Weisberger's experiences, I searched on the internet for information about the real story.
Reading about her life I had nothing but respect for her. She set a goal for her life and she's achieved that and more, which is a lot more than the majority of people can say.
As for how she deals with people, coming across as cold, I think it's telling that people automatically jump to the conclusion that she's a 'bitch' or an 'ice queen'. When you're at the top and wield as much influence within your industry as she does, it's completely unrealistic to expect her to become best friends with every person she ever meets.
Also, on the point of her making 'demands' without going into great detail about how her assistants should get the job done: that is the point of being the editor, or the manager of any large enough company, any successful one anyway. She simply wouldn't have the time to do her job and hold people's hands through doing their own. If Lauren Weisberger had so much of a problem with being expected to be competent at her job that she literally compared her boss to the devil, then perhaps she just wasn't cut out for employment.
My one problem with Wintour is that, I did feel for her when she hinted that her family don't respect her job and her accomplishments within the fashion industry because they weren't exactly humanitarian, but she has been adamantly pro-fur, when she is probably the one person in the entire world that has enough influence to fatally cripple the fur trading industry.
"You're not supposed to steal."
"You're not supposed to talk to strangers. Piss off." -
mlrowe — 16 years ago(March 07, 2010 06:52 AM)
I think that the person who wrote "Devil" worked for la Wintour.
She was on her best (least miserable?) behaviour whilst the cameras were rolling. What a joyless human being. The only time her eyes showed a spark of warmth was when she was with her daughter who didn't seem to show much warmth to her mother. -
lhrdst1 — 16 years ago(March 12, 2010 07:34 AM)
I agree. Vogue is a brand and Anna is the best woman for this position and is the integral part of this brand and is the power-player in this business. I really loved this movie. I would have liked to see more intereaction w/ her daughter. I liked those scenes.
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Pipeman_Toronto — 16 years ago(March 12, 2010 02:40 PM)
Miranda and Anna could NOT be more alike.
Neither one knows how to smileor on those rare occasions when they do, it's a shark smile.
Both have absurd signature hairstyles.
Both say no to 90% of the suggestions offered them.
Both are passive-agressive. (Esp Wintour in her strained working relationship with Coddington)
Both have a quiet inner rage and justify their bitchiness with workaholism.
Everyone knows that Weisberger (the author of "Devil Wears Prada") worked for Wintour and patterned Miranda after her. What was amazing was that Streep swears she wasn't channeling Wintour at all in her performance. But that low-key angry bitch vibe rings true. -
nylatinguy3000 — 15 years ago(May 16, 2010 07:28 AM)
I totally agree everywhere you see, from the trailers to the interviews, make it seem that Anna is really just a power hungry bitch with an ego.
BUT, what the documentary showed was a passionate woman who was trying to make the September Issue the best in it's history. She was even a little charming to me. And I even felt a little sympathy for her like right before she goes off to fly to Rome or one of those many place she visited in Europe, her daughter just said 'bye.' THAT'S IT! I'm sure she's used to seeing her mother leave but a little more emotion towards the woman that gave birth to you would've been nice. And then she belittles her mothers profession when she's right in the next room was a bit mean; such a disconnect. Or when Anna was talking about her brothers and sister being amused by what she does she looked pained by what she didn't say.
She asked for opinions, if things didn't work she cut them; she tried to get things done. Maybe some feelings were hurt but you can't put every single thing the workers want into the magazine a lot of trimming had to take place. But she did it in a respectful way and despite removing a some of Grace's pictures, still spoke highly of her and labeled her a genius.
She seemed like a captain. Not a tyrant. -
Recessionista — 15 years ago(May 17, 2010 01:31 PM)
hmm i dunno, i get she has to be tough but I couldn't work knowing my staff were quaking in their Jimmy Choo's whenever i was nearby. Thats no way to work. You can be respected AND be pleasant and warm. Doesn't mean she has to compromise on the quality of the magazine. Im sure it would be nicer for her too if she could relax a little.
I AM THE B!TCH WITH THE
HOT
GUITAR -
LisaBatPSU — 15 years ago(July 19, 2010 09:57 AM)
She's a narcissist exactly like the one in the book. In fact, I'm surprised a woman so smart wasn't able to do more to alter the perception based on the book since that was the point, wasn't it?
Besides Grace, all the women were in seriously high heels.
She couldn't be kept waiting. Got seriously annoyed when things didn't move along.
Panic ensued and everyone working in the place had to do the impossible and produce pictures from Rome that weren't being released.
She walks out her front door and leaves it wide open. Who does that???? Only someone who feels it is too mundane to worry about closing doors.
She is very artificial with the CEO of Neiman Marcus. Painfully artificial. Because he is one of the people in "The Important People" group.
We saw her assistants wrapping her stuff when she was going to travel.
Everything is brought to her office.
She walks into the elevator first and everyone follows in proper order.
That cold, empty stare of hers. It's haunting.
I could go on and on. Obviously, TDWP is not fiction in the slightest. Probably not much of an exaggeration either.
However, I don't begrudge her the 'tude. Important men in business tend to be narcissists as well. There is no big stink over them. Plus, she is kind of fascinating in her aloofness. -
pendergast7 — 15 years ago(July 20, 2010 02:44 AM)
Sorry but most pastor's wives are waaaaay more demanding, intolerant, bitchy, impatient and power hungry than the woman at the head of VOGUE.
I was expecting worse. I have known other female bosses and CEOs and company heads who were much much much worse.
Everybody gets annoyed when kept waiting. Especially smaller companies. I have contracted at companies you never heard of with male or female heads who about started screaming when something did not go exactly as they wanted it.
I wanted to say to Grace that its not your magazine and if you feel so disappointed then leave and start your own mag. I found (to my surprise) that I was not disagreeing with the decisions the head woman was making.
Everytime I saw Grace's hair, not her face (she can't help that she was in an accident) I wanted to pour conditioner on it and cut it because it looked like it was so dry it could spontaneously ignite.
And I didn't care for her attitude either. She just seemed petty and instantly defiant, jealous even. -
pinkxcouturee — 15 years ago(August 12, 2010 01:12 PM)
I felt like Anna came off as strong and focused, yet vulnerable and emotional. Grace didn't leave the best impression but she did have her redeemable qualities and it was a stressful issue after all. Anna is so inspiring and it's a shame that her daughter obviously doesn't understand the importance of her mother's career.
Which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die as a good man? -
CalKersten — 15 years ago(October 21, 2010 08:20 PM)
I wish I could say I respected her, but this movie did little for my impression for her. I have respect for what she does and I understand that part of the job, as Grace even says herself, is being brutal and not always being likable. I understand that much and find Anna Wintour to be truly fascinating, a larger than life character.
My main issue is, as others have pointed out, her awareness of the cameras is distracting. I don't believe for a second we're seeing the real her. She's doing damage control and after such a scintillating portrayal of her likeness in The Devil Wears Prada, it's not hard to see why. The scene that most others have mentioned where her siblings dismissed her career as "amusing" is definitely hard to watch. I wanted to feel for her, but I felt like she was going to hurt herself under the weight of that self pity and the whole thing seemed contrived.
Furthermore, her rudeness to the cameraman was appalling. Considering she wants to be painted as a sympathetic figure, telling the cameraman that he needs to hit the gym is unnecessarily rude. It also wreaks of an insecurity that is most unbecoming on a woman who tears others down to build herself up.
It's true I was expecting a more exaggerated portrayal of Wintour, but I was impressed that the film allowed viewers to make up their own minds. Maybe not Miranda Priestly, but as calculating and insecure as Streep's portrayal. -
moviechick1010 — 15 years ago(February 19, 2011 08:10 AM)
From the sheer length of time she's been in fashion I believe she processes a catalog of thoughts and images and what the final outcome might be very quickly. Over the years she's distilled her method of pulling together a picture from all of the available elements at hand. And since she's on a publishing deadline she doesn't have time to really fawn over people or indulge them when she makes comments or critiques.
Also fashion-speak is very short-hand and seeks to amuse itself with its' witticisms so the manner of people that goes with can seem cutting or curt. And all that works to create an extraordinary and very cinematic "evil witch." Meryl Streep was brilliant not just for her role in
The Devil Wears Prada
but for her foresight in recognizing a role with teeth.