The September Issue (2009)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

R.J. Cutler

Release Date:

20 August 2009 (Australia)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

Fashion is a religion. This is the bible.

Plot:

A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.

Plot Keywords:

Fashion | Month In Title

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

US Showtimes:

Culver Plaza Theatres

2:20pm | 6:20

(personalize)

Cast

Oscar De la Renta	...	Himself
Patrick DeMarchelier	...	Himself
John Galliano	...	Himself
Jean-Paul Gaultier	...	Himself
Candy Pratts	...	Herself
Hilary Rhoda	...	Herself
Coco Rocha	...	Herself
André Leon Talley	...	Himself
Mario Testino	...	Himself
Caroline Trentini	...	Herself
Vera Wang	...	Herself
Anna Wintour	...	Herself

Also Known As:

Untitled Anna Wintour Documentary (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime:

USA:90 min | Germany:90 min (Sundance Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45227) | New Zealand:PG | Ireland:PG | Japan:G | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario)

Company:

A&E IndieFilms

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Late Show with David Letterman: (#16.193)" (2009)

An elegant, dramatic look at the superficiality of fashion

First, let me tell you that I am a straight man who is not at all interested at fashion. I have never bought a Vogue September issue nor have I ever even bought a fashion magazine. After realizing this movie got great reviews, I decided to see it. The reviews were right and I most certainly was not disappointed. The September Issue is the rare kind of movie that is a combination of documentary with a message and elegance.

Many people know about Anna Wintour. If you seen The Devil Wears Prada, you'll know that she is pure evil. Although there may be some truth to this statement, this movie paints her in a different light. The movie opens with her explaining that people who wear high fashion should not be made fun of just because they were haute couture. Wintour is looked at as more of a person with morals who gets what she wants because she often is right and does what is best for the magazine. She doesn't strive to be mean, she does it for the magazine.

The star of the movie is not Wintour. It's actually the creative director, Grace Coddington. Coddington is not nearly as likable as Wintour ironically, but she is central to the movie and the reason it is so good. The movie's message is about how the fashion world is so superficial and perfect. Towards the end, the cameraman for the movie is used in a photograph, however, he is just an average person who is slightly overweight. Coddington urges people not to touch the picture up. She says "Nobody is perfect, but models are." This is the movie's central idea.

Another reason I really enjoyed the movie is that it really does have some great film-making. R.J. Cutler really does have some nice shots including my favorite of a couple kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower. It has nothing to do with the movie and yet it is such a moving shot. There are quite a few establishing shots similar to this in the movie and these little things are the icing on the cake.

You don't have to be a fashion lover to love this movie. You don't have to be a subscriber to Vogue. You don't have to be a woman. Whatever your preconceptions about this were, ignore them. This a movie for anybody that should be seen by everybody. The September Issue opens wide this weekend so make use of it and go see it.