Director R.J. Cutler’s The September Issue is a fly-on-the-wall look into the life of the elusive Vogue editor Anna Wintour. While the documentary may fail to deliver the definitive portrait that fashion lovers so desperately crave, Cutler still offers a rare view of an elite, mysterious entity.
Cutler was granted access to Wintour and her magazine staff during the production of the largest issue a magazine has ever published (at 840 pages, the September 2007 issue of Vogue was an achievement that seems unthinkable now that recessionistas far outnumber fashionistas). Although this cooperation allowed for an unprecedented glimpse into Wintour’s demeanor, it may be the reason that the film seems to shy away from showing viewers her legendary power and influence.
The film does show us Wintour’s intimate moments with family and friends, and we watch her try to combat the accusation that the fashion industry (and perhaps more notably, her position in it) is frivolous and overly fickle. However, Wintour (and Cutler) fails to convince us otherwise. Even when the legendary editor meets with the head of Neiman Marcus or with Yves Saint Laurent creative director Stefano Pilati, the movie only offers a superficial look at Wintour’s sway.
Yet this seeming lack of authoritarianism on Wintour’s part does allow for the movie’s central conflict between the powerful trend spotter and creative director Grace Coddington. Coddington, who is responsible for Vogue’s editorial spreads, proves to be the film’s most engaging character as she defends her vision against the business-minded Anna Wintour.
Watching the drama unfold between these two women, who have worked together for nearly two decades, is a delight Their relationship alternates between adversarial and respectful as both women play to the camera as tools to further their agendas. But in the film’s final moments, art triumphs over commercialism as Wintour grudgingly admits that Coddington’s artistic vision is integral to the magazine’s success.
3 stars
directed by R.J. Cutler, 90 minutes, rated PG-13
