One of those movies that was meant for the audience to root for the plucky heroine, but gets hijacked by the actor or actress that is obviously having the time of their life with a juicy villain role. I found myself very annoyed and frustrated by the main character here. Why in the hell she didn't just quit after the first half an hour of abuse from this boss and snippy coworkers is beyond me, I suppose we are meant to admire her 'stick-to-it-iveness' and enjoy her transformation from dowdy frump to fashion queen, and then root for her to 'learn a big life lesson' and go back to her previous life 'a little wiser for the experience'. Fooey on that.
Meryl Streep is the show here. She steals every scene in which she appears, and her dismissive 'that's all' at the end of each machine gun firing monologue is a great capper that so perfectly sums up her attitude towards those she deems her 'inferiors' (which could be just about everyone she comes in contact with) - the delivery is dead on, and communicates so much in so few words.
Otherwise the movie just feels like a "My Worst Boss" Creative Writing Essay. Enjoyable enough, but not likely to remain in memory long.
Some other juicy 'bad boss' roles: Kevin Spacey in Swimming With Sharks, Fred MacMurray in The Apartment, Burt Lancaster in The Sweet Smell of Success, Alec Baldwin in Glengary Glen Ross (not really the boss, but...), Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl, Dabney Coleman in 9 to 5