Marshall and the Movies

“The September Issue” is a documentary that gives a fascinating exposé into the fashion industry – or religion, as some see it.  Their chief diety is Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, who has the ability to make or break a trend.  It is largely because of her vision and foresight that the magazine has secured a foothold as the leading voice in fashion.

But most people know Wintour as Miranda Priestly, the character from “The Devil Wears Prada” played by Meryl Streep and written by one of Wintour’s former assistants.  The 2006 movie played her off as an ice woman with no soul, yet here there is no attempt to satanize her.  In fact, “The September Issue” avoids taking much of a stance on Wintour at all, and I’m glad that I was given the opportunity to form my own opinion on her.  To me, she is just a woman dedicated to perfection and refuses to accept anything less.

And “The September Issue” isn’t the real “The Devil Wears Prada;” that is to say, the movie isn’t out to paint us a portrait of Wintour.  It’s a glimpse into all the pain-staking efforts that come together to make the largest monthly edition of a magazine in history.  The September 2007 edition of Vogue that we follow from concepts to the presses is more like a fashion textbook, weighing over five pounds and amassing over 800 pages.  Although a lot of people write off some of these fashion shoots as silly, the movie gives us some fascinating insights into how much thought goes into them.

But to be honest, the movie’s real star is Grace Coddington, Vogue‘s creative director and often a foil for Wintour.  Grace is the movie’s scene stealer, which is quite a feat in a documentary.  While Wintour is all business, Grace is very emotionally invested in her work and finds herself frustrated whenever her boss doesn’t appreciate the shoots she puts together.  A former model, Grace has a great sense of what works and what doesn’t, and eventually Wintour clicks with her.  There’s plenty of drama between the two of them if that’s what you are looking for in “The September Issue,” but you’ll find more matter-of-fact filmmaking that documents an extraordinary process.  That’s pretty dramatic in its own right.  B+ /