Watch The September Issue For Free

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

While I'm not a fashion fanatic, I did watch Devil Wears Prada and I was interested to find out more about the enigmatic Anna Wintour. This movie only skims the surface of life at Vogue, but given the complexity of people, places and objects involved in creating just one issue, the film makers did a pretty good job. I didn't always understand what people were saying. There were too many mumbling asides. But there were some genuine insights, such as how down to earth Anna's sidekick, stylist Grace Coddington is, yet very much an artist. You see how Vogue is not just an observer in fashion, it's a catalyst, a driver of what's coming up. There are some absorbing scenes -- the skinny model eating a cake, the cameraman roped in to a photo shoot, and the agonising debate about which cover photo to use. Wintour proved a tough nut to crack. She's naturally very stiff upper lip. Not intentionally at all, it's just her nature. She's obviously an excellent editor and well-respected. However apart from some of her comments about her family, I felt she remained a closed book.

R J Cutler's camera follows her into the industry's biggest names, and they positively cower before her or so we are lead to believe, as at the end of the day and sadly its a controlled doc about a dreary woman who sees fashion as a business and has been allowed to have a voice with the power of this magazine , director R J Cutler is a great filmmaker, and I feel that his creation was amazing but after seeing Varon Bonicos's - A Man's Story - an underrated and sadly unknown documentary film about black UK tailor and m men's guru designer Ozwald Boateng , I now retrospectively crave the reality of this woman's world not just her day job, yes its fashion, but who is AW? In my opinion Cutler obviously started shooting with Andre Leon Tally who sold the idea that AW would have a say in the production , she allows the camera in her life and answer's Cutler's questions, but sadly there is nothing of any emotion she never cracks her reserve, while the warm and emotional sidekick Coddington has her talent thwarted at every turn, and quickly becomes the heart of this film. It's like we need a part 2 about AW without the September "Issues" .RR

The documentary itself was great in many ways- the story-telling, film, interviews and insights about the nature of the relationships between each person involved with the production of the magazine issue. I was most struck by Anna W...walking from place to place, person to person with a constant 'puss' on her face. Always ready to dish out demeaning and cutting remarks. The first shot of the film was a surprise to me, I was not aware of Anna before this film, and when I heard this woman speak her ideas, I immediately thought this person is totally clueless about her class and about the distorted view of the world she had. As the film went on, it became noticeable that the majority of the people she interacts with are white people, rich white people. I also observed the sheer amount of power she has.This is not feminism folks, this is a woman who assumed the role of her past male predecessor, and combined them with her own seeming delusions of being royalty- the Folie of this delusion is that *everyone* helps make it happen by kissing her ass:they defer, they submit. This woman is exactly what is wrong with how people use their power. Her use of power appears to be based in supporting exclusivity, inequality and exploitation. To see her complete clueless-ness about people who live outside of her vacuum of sycophantic/terrified underlings. I felt turned off completely by this documentary- the entitlement, the implied nepotism (wants daughter in the industry), the seriousness given to the issue of fashion and the denial of the 'real' world outside of the fashion bubble. This doc to me, exposed a superficial world that is characterized by some of the ugliest uses of power, amazing disrespect and dis-ingenuity.

I've been collecting the hefty September issue of Vogue since I was 16 years old. It's great having this reference to look back at as fashion is cyclical. For me because I love Vogue it was a treat to catch some behind the scenes workings of the September issue. The main motivation behind Wintour's participating in this documentary is probably primarily commercial, as she want's Vogue's circulation to increase. Don't view this with an expectation to gain insight into her character. I found the documentary too short but it's because I loved the subject, for casual viewers unfamiliar with the Septemeber issues it's a good length. So why do I love Vogue's September issue? The trends brought up in September will echo throughout the fashion year and for years after. This magazine marries culture albeit a more high-browed, selective, snobbish, commercial culture with genuine talent and artistry. Plus there are actual articles to read in small font throughout the magazine. It's not just a fluffy magazine full of photo's. Through the documentary the viewer can see that the people running Vogue are ageing. These people also refreshingly wear very little make-up and let their wrinkles show. A lot of the documentary features Grace, who has wild untamed hair, at the beginning I wished she had used product or a straightening iron but Grace is the crone archetype, while young she was beautiful and now at old age is again comfortable in her own skin. The September issues of Vogue under Wintour's leadership are memento's of the current golden age of fashion and design. It's interesting that Wintour is of English origin as her sensibility is so French and conservative. In fact London is one of the cities where fashion begins from the individual and fashion there is chaotic and unique and frankly follows no rules. The world we are familiar with where fashion trends echo throughout every country is ending. The timing of this documentary before the US economic meltdown was lucky, there is no doom and gloom in this documentary. A must see for those interested in fashion.