Cruella Movie Review

The question of nature vs. nurture is a tempting one to ask. Does our upbringing dictate who we are and what we believe? Or is it our perception of ourselves and the world around us?

Cruella was released yesterday on DisneyPlus. Estella/Cruella De Vil (played by Tipper Seifert-Cleveland as a child and Emma Stone as an adult) has been a rebel and an outcast since she was young. Raised by her single mother, she is left parentless at 12. Arriving in London with only her dog as a companion, she finds family in the form of thieves Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) and Jasper (Joel Fry). Ten years later, they have become a trio.

But Estella wants more out of life than petty thievery. She wants to be a fashion designer. Fate sends her the opportunity she is praying via the Baroness (Emma Thompson). The Baroness is the queen of the English fashion scene. She is also self centered and selfish. What starts out as a door opening to the job of her dreams turns Estella/Cruella into a version of the person she wants to destroy. The question is, can our heroine keep up with the image she has created while being true to herself or will she sell her soul in the process?

Cruella is one of the best films of 2021. It is so much fun to watch. The music (classic 1960’s and 1970’s tunes) is perfectly chosen. Both leading ladies are at the top of their game. The introduction to Thompson’s character is only bested by Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) in The Devil Wears Prada.

What I loved is that this movie it proves that a female led movie does not require a romantic narrative to be successful. There are male characters who have a significant role in the narrative, but their relationships with the Baroness and Estella/Cruella are of a professional and/or plutonic nature.

Among the Disney prequels that have come out as of late, this is the best one. Though there is the argument of an easy cash grab, there are more than enough Easter eggs to keep fans of the original film happy. Expanded beyond the original narrative, it is a loving homage to its predecessor while standing on its own two feet.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Cruella is available for streaming on DisneyPlus.

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Park Avenue Summer Book Review

It’s not exactly a secret that men underestimate women. But that is often our secret to success.

Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen was released earlier this year. Alice Weiss is 21 in 1965, a transplant from Ohio and dreams of becoming a photographer. But like many young people who come to New York City with a dream and not much else, Alice has to get a job.

She gets a job as the secretary for the late Helen Gurley Brown, the author of Sex and the Single Girl and the new editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan. At that time, the magazine was on it’s death bed. It was up to Helen to turn the magazine around, but it seemed to be a Herculean task. The magazine was shedding employees like a snake sheds it’s skin and the men who run the parent organization are more than ready to shut the magazine down.

When a fellow employee tries to pull Alice in into a plan to spy on her boss, Alice goes the other way. She will do everything in her power to help Helen succeed. Along the way, Alice learns a few things about life, men and success.

Described as a literary love child of The Devil Wears Prada and Mad Men, this book is more than the story of a young woman discovering herself. It is the story of an unconventional woman who succeeds in a man’s world on her own terms.

I recommend it.

The Devil Wears Prada

June 30th is 10 year anniversary of The Devil Wears Prada.

Based off the best-selling book by Lauren Weisberger of the same name, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is a new college graduate whose professional goal is to be a journalist. But a job in journalism is out of reach. The only job she can find is as an assistant to the notoriously difficult and demanding Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), editor of the fashion magazine Runway.

Andy initially is like a fish out of water. She does not fit in, especially with her fellow assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), feels overwhelmed by her job and has little to no social life due to her demanding job. Then something clicks and Andy finally starts to feel like she is fitting in and getting the job done. The problem now is that her personal life is being pushed to the side. Can Andy find that balance again and will she stay at Runway?

I saw this film during its initial release in theaters. From the moment the film started, I got the story and I got Andy. First, it is a very New York City story. It sounds cliché, but New York City was another character. Second, Andy is an every woman. She represents the millions of kids that graduate from college, have a dream career, but are forced to take a totally different job to survive.

At the time the film was released, I was in my early 20’s, only a few years out of college and working in my first long-term full-time job. I understood Andy and her struggles. Especially living in New York City, where dreams are well and good, but the rent has to be paid.

If there was ever a film to highlight Meryl Streep’s talent, this film is it. Miranda Priestly did not need to yell and scream if she was unhappy with her underling’s work. She only had to speak softly and raise her eyebrow. Even with stars like Streep and Hathaway, the MVP of this film is Emily Blunt. Not only does she have some of the best lines, but she steals the show from her co-stars.

I have nothing but good things to say about this film and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who has not seen it.

Flashback Friday- Meryl Streep Double Feature- The Devil Wears Prada (2006) & Prime (2005)

Meryl Streep is one of those actors.  Every actor, male or female aspires to have her storied career. Intelligent, classy and known for a variety of characters, she continues to surprise the movie going audience after decades on screen.

In the 2000’s, she played two very different, but interesting characters.

In The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep is Miranda Priestly, the editor of Runway Magazine. Ruthless and powerful, Miranda hires Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a recent college graduate who believes that a temporary position as Miranda’s second assistant will open doors to her dream job as a journalist.  Miranda’s first assistant, Emily (Emily Blunt) is more cynical about the job and their boss. Taking pity on Andy, Nigel (Stanley Tucci) helps her with her wardrobe and her attitude about her job.

Based on the book by Lauren Weisberger, Meryl Streep is terrifying as Miranda. She is the uber boss that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Anne Hathaway as Andy is every recent college graduate, knowing that they need a job, but unsure of the path to find that job. Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, in their respective parts, represent those of us who have been in the work place long enough to develop a cynical, yet appreciative view of our jobs.

In Prime, Rafi  Gardet (Uma Thurman) is reeling from her recent divorce.  In her late 30’s she seeks the help of Dr. Lisa Metzger (Meryl Streep) to be able to move on in her life. At the same time, she meets and starts to see David Bloomberg (Bryan Greenberg), a 23 year old college graduate whose has career aspirations to become a painter.  Rafi starts to open up to Lisa about her May/December romance with David, not knowing that she is talking about Lisa’s son.

This movie has a charm to it. What drives the plot of this movie, besides the May December, inter-religious romance between Rafi and David is the sense that these characters are asking questions about the next step in the lives. That element brings them together and ultimately brings them closure.

I recommend both movies.