Weekly Four
Review Written by our London Correspondant Marian Toledo
The September Issue is a documentary film by R J Cutler that focuses on the rollercoaster-type of dealings for the making of the Vogue issue for September (its biggest issue ever). We take a journey into the clenches of Vogue magazine, along with its collaborators, like André Leon Talley, Grace Codington, and resident Devil herself, Anna Wintour. We learn of the story of Wintour, the British-born editor in chief of American Vogue, how her father was editor in chief of the Evening Standard in London and how her family is still involved in journalism.
Far from depicting Wintour as a heartless demon, the movie follows the harsh realities of the fashion world, along with the difficulties and fulfillments of making the main issue for the most influential fashion magazine in the world. Wintour is seen as a very strong woman, one whose influence on the mayor designers in the business can be seen even in what it is showed on the international catwalks. It is always humanizing to see a Jean Paul Gaultier, head designer for Hermés and his own house, or Stefano Pilati (for Yves Saint Laurent) tremble and mumble in the presence of Wintour. Even Oscar de la Renta gets told what to include in his collections!
But the movie also shows how Wintour cannot do any of this alone; enter the presence of Grace Codington, Vogue’s little-known but creative genius extraordinaire. Her constant battles with Wintour offer this documentary more than just a dynamic climax (and plenty of laughter), but also shows the insights of how two very talented women have to deal with the pressures of the industry, as well as the pressures on each other. At the end, these two women have learned to work together and cherish one other.
And there’s also the private Wintour, the journalist who is craving for the acceptance from her family, something she reveals when she explains how her siblings in England are “amused” by what she does, considering they are active in political, journalistic and social enterprises. The director’s focus on a teary-eye Wintour produces one to sympathize and understand what family means to her, and that it ultimately means for us.
Though we might never forgive Anna Wintour for putting Sienna Miller on the cover of its September issue (or any Vogue issue for that matter), this very exclusive view into the world of fashion, its successes, pitfalls and heartbreaks, show how behind frozen demeanors lie heart of fire; the unequivocal passion that has kept Vogue as the frontrunner of fashion for so long.
Directed by: R J Cutler
Starring: Anna Wintour
Grace Coddington
André Leon Talley
