[NoHo Arts District, CA] – In this week’s movie and TV review blog, Mike Peros reviews In the Grey and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
In the Grey
I know that the new Mandalorian movie is out, and nothing I say will deter you from seeing it—plus, I don’t feel comfortable writing about it since I haven’t seen it. However, I have seen a few modestly entertaining films that you might enjoy. One is In the Grey, the most recent release from prolific writer/director Guy Ritchie. It was supposed to be released a year ago, then more recently (till it was pushed back). And while that might be the harbinger of bad news, that’s not the case here. Most of In the Grey is about a caper, in this case reclaiming about a billion dollars from nefarious business tycoon/crime overlord Manny Salazar (Carlos Bardem—Javier’s brother). Eiza Gonzalez is the high-powered attorney with expertise in the reclamation area, particularly as she is aided and abetted by Sid and Bronco (Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal), as well as an expert team. (On Salazar’s side is Fisher Stevens as his frazzled lawyer, and about a hundred anonymous henchmen—who exist mainly to be killed). That this high-stakes caper (as in life or death) involves going after (and either bankrupting, attaching, or incapacitating Salazar’s vast business and personal interests, much of the footage involves the deft plotting and maneuvering, accompanied by a prodigious use of voiceover, illustration, and supertitles.
It’s all very fast-moving and smoothly acted and executed, but for about two/thirds of the film, one might wonder if the team is going to face any real difficulty (showdowns occur, but the good guys acquit themselves with relative ease). And then, as is par for the course in these caper films, the best laid plans go astray, leading to lots of explosive improvisation. Glylenhaal and Cavill are quite good as the mercenaries devoted to each other (how much so…who knows??) and to Gonzalez (who is also very good in what is, in essence, the lead role). Rosamund Pike is also on hand, devouring the screen as a duplicitous top exec (is there any other kind?). While I enjoyed the film, what keeps this from being top-drawer Guy Ritchie is the sense that this is all more efficient than inspired. One keeps looking for the quirky characterizations, wit, and action that distinguish his best films. Here, aside from the leading players, everyone else is nondescript, and the wit—well, there’s a modicum, but that’s all. While it’s all enjoyable and worth the trip to the theater, you may leave wanting a bit more.
The Devil Wears Prada 2
The Devil Wears Prada 2 brings back the creative team from the first one (director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna) and manages to bring back most of the cast (Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and MVP Stanley Tucci—annoying boyfriend Adrien Grenier was not asked back), while bringing aboard some new players (Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Kenneth Branagh, and Lucy Liu as the living embodiment of a deus-ex-machina). As it’s twenty years since the last film, the new one is very much concerned with digital media and its flourishing at the expense of print media and true journalism. Andy (Anne Hathaway), a working journalist, wins a big prize and (with her colleagues) loses her job when her magazine folds. This leads her to being reunited with Miranda (Streep), who could use Andy for damage control—even if she doesn’t realize it. And while Miranda remains wary, there are further reunions with Emily (Blunt) who is now at Dior and is still not exactly chummy. Throw in Lucy Liu’s hard-to-get interview subject, a trip to Rome, an untimely death (none of the leads!), and the quest to find permanence and relevance in a rapidly changing media landscape—and what results is a patina of soul-searching, a number of laughs, and a few genuinely touching moments. If one were to be persnickety, one might question Andy’s choices, how much we’re meant to admire (or be critical of) the haughty, humanity-challenged Miranda, and certain characters’ ability to forgive and forget. (Kenneth Branagh is also onboard as Miranda’s husband—one wishes he had more to do.) If you liked the first film, you’ll probably (as I did) enjoy this one—even though you may not feel the need to repeat the experience.