The September Issue

Film Review by Becky Bartlett | 26 Aug 2009
Film title: The September Issue
Director: RJ Cutler
Starring: Anna Wintour
Release date: 11 September 2009
Certificate: 12A

The September Issue documents the preparations for the largest ever issue of Vogue, while trying to gain some insight into the woman behind it all, Anna Wintour. Meryl Streep famously based her ice-queen role in The Devil Wears Prada on Wintour, but the real person seems even more ambiguous, inaccessible and detached than her fictional counterpart. Director RJ Cutler manages to provide glimpses of a surprisingly warm, savvy woman, who understands the world she has surrounded herself with is a bizarre one, while her co-worker Grace proves to be perhaps the only match for Wintour’s iron fist rulings. Cutler captures the chaos and glamour of the fashion world, as well as affording viewers a glimpse into a world few will experience. The September Issue is fascinating and highly entertaining, regardless of one’s interest in the industry, while the issue itself reveals just how much of an impact a film crew can have on their chosen subject.