October 2006
Time Out
THIS MONTH’S SELECTION OF Movies
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
US-rated PG-13;
German release date: October 5
With the recent explosion of superhero movies, audiences might be starting to think that they’ve seen everything that the spandex-clad can do. After all, noble servants of humanity have been stopping runaway trains with their bare hands and scaling burning buildings for years. But this giddy new film skewers such existing clichés, as it explores the as-yet-unseen perks of superhero status. Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman)—alias “G Girl”—uses her physical talents to dry nail polish and amaze new boyfriend Matt (Luke Wilson) in the bedroom. But when Matt dumps Jenny because of her increasingly clingy behavior, she turns her powers against him and indulges in vengeful acts unbecoming of traditional cape–wearers: You’d never see Superman throw a live shark through the window of an ex’s new mate, but Thurman’s Jenny does it with gleeful zeal. Though such moments may lack in finesse where special effects are concerned, the fresh and breezy pace of the story carries viewers through the clunky visuals and sometimes-stilted acting. In all, the film is summer cinema at its best, albeit with an October release date.
The Devil Wears Prada
US-rated PG-13;
German release date: October 12
For journalism graduate Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a new job at Runway magazine requires a totally new vocabulary. In the halls of this temple of fashion, “size six” means “fat,” “now” means “five minutes ago” and “Gap” is a dirty word. Withstanding the verbal blows of ice queen boss Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), though, turns out to be even more difficult than pronouncing Demeulemeester or Lhuillier. Anticipating the needs of the fashion doyenne becomes the main priority in Andy’s life, much to the chagrin of her laid-back chef boyfriend Nate (Entourage’s Adrien Grenier). Andy sheds her outsider status with the completion of each seemingly impossible errand, but soon wonders if her new life clashes with her old ideals.
Though lacking some of the bite of its source material—Lauren Weisberger’s roman à clef novel—this adaptation benefits from the full exploitation of film’s visual possibilities. Costumer Patricia Fields (formerly of Sex and the City) transformed a $100,000 budget into a million-dollar fantasy wardrobe with the help of designer friends, many of whom make appearances in the film. Laced with one-liners and physical comedy, The Devil Wears Prada is a deliciously guilt-free confection: as suitable for viewers hoping to fit into Tsubis as it is for those who are just as happy with Levis.
