Column:

'The September Issue' brings documentaries into Vogue

By Thomas Leonard

Published Oct. 27, 2009

Documentary films seem to have a negative effect on the common moviegoer, with images of Al Gore and his graphs sending some running for the hills. It's a welcome surprise that the glitziest fun to be had at the movies this season is a très glamorous and thoroughly not-stuffy documentary, "The September Issue."

This uniquely lighthearted film about the mega-iconic fashion magazine Vogue and its famed elite editors scrambling to publish their equally iconic September edition goes down like a glass of top-shelf bubbly, even if you're not the fiercest of fashionistas.

"The September Issue" has a few things to say about the state of the multibillion-dollar fashion industry, but it cleverly narrows its scope to the production of Vogue's gargantuan 2007 September issue and the key players behind it, namely infamous Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.

Wintour has practically become a household name 22 years into her stint as Vogue editor, her image boosted by a high-profile roasting from former assistant Lauren Weisberger in the 2003 tell-all novel "The Devil Wears Prada." Garnering the nickname "Nuclear Wintour," the first lady of fashion has become synonymous with her allegedly bitchy attitude and cold demeanor.

Although "Issue" unsurprisingly markets itself as an up-close-and-personal look at the legendary Anna Wintour, it becomes apparent early on this is not the case. Appropriate to her cold and closed-off public image, we are instead treated to a more intimate portrait of the not-so well-known Grace Coddington, Wintour's antagonistic creative director.

We follow Coddington's arduous experiences photographing prospective spreads for the eponymous magazine. Coddington wears her heart on her sleeve discussing her passion for the business and images she photographs.

Although Wintour is reluctant to let the camera see the same emotional insights from her personal life, her young daughter Bee Shaffer's short appearance in the movie provides an interesting window into Wintour's life outside of Vogue.

Despite some wonderfully human moments with Coddington and Wintour's daughter, director R.J. Cutler is careful to never take himself too seriously. "Issue" cruises comfortably in the gear of decadence the full 90 minutes; the viewer is constantly bombarded with couture outfits and extravagant location shoots. Chock full of glossy images and beautiful people, the film becomes a living and breathing Vogue, only with less ads.

What works best about this dive into the world of Vogue is Cutler makes sure we're never fully immersed. "Issue" is able to provide an interesting, unbiased look at the image-obsessed industry for better or worse. This is best exemplified when Coddington's on-the-fly ingenuity places one of the documentary's cameramen into a shoot, a picture that Wintour demands be touched up in order to remove the camera guy's belly fat. You don't know whether to laugh or cringe at how real the moment is.

Of course, that's what's so ruthlessly wonderful about "The September Issue." It's not uncommon to go to the movies and see a slew of skinny girls and excessive fashion, but it has never felt so sincere. Whether audiences flock to the theaters to see the Prada or the devil, they're sure to stay because "Issue" is more than skin deep.