Birthday relaxation for a special person

Nikki's birthday today and we were planning a day out in the Lakes. Some of the Chorlton Players had decided to spend a few hours wombling around Haweswater and we also have a much-delayed appointment at Jennings brewery in Cockermouth to return the empty barrel from our housewarming party, so it seemed like a good idea to combine the two and meet up with the Players just in time for them to hit the pub.

In the event the forecast was for inclement weather so we cried off. I wouldn't say I jumped at the excuse not to go - I would have been perfectly happy either way - but as it's Nikki's special day it was only fair for her to have the final say. She opted for an afternoon/evening in front of the TV with a plate full of comfort food and a double bill of her favourite movies on DVD, preceded by one which was new to both of us, but which could well become a favourite: The Devil Wears Prada.

I was all set to hate it. On the face of it, there's very little to recommend it apart from Meryl Streep. It was a bonus to discover Stanley Tucci also stars - I've been a fan of his since watching Murder One many moons ago - but the subject matter? Haut couture in the offices of a New York fashion magazine? Didn't sound like my kind of thing at all.

Was I ever wrong. With consummate writing in general and razor-sharp dialogue in particular; with beautifully nuanced performances from just about every cast member; this is an absolute gem of a movie that had me laughing out loud many times over. And while it was having a great laugh poking fun at the vacuous fashion industry it was also driving home a carefully crafted message about being true to yourself and your core values, and demonstrating how hard this is when you get sucked in by something as superficially big and glossy and important as a job with a major magazine. How something that presents itself as the opportunity of a lifetime, a must-have can't-miss drop-dead life changing chance can indeed change your life and not for the better. You may find yourself chasing a dream that was never yours to begin with. Turned around and chewed up and spat out until you are not only unrecognisable to your friends and family but you don't know who you are any more either.

Fortunately for the main character (wonderfully played by Anne Hathaway), not only did she recognise this was happening before it was too late and walk away (literally), she also enjoyed the beneficence of an employer who, although cold and demanding on the outside, had a heart hidden deep beneath her crusty exterior and recognised the worth of her deputy assistant to the point where she was prepared to give her a good reference. Outside of the Hollywood version of high fashion and even higher corporate power broking, this would be highly unlikely. Made for a happy ending though!