Film Review: 'The September Issue'

Anna Wintour in 'The September Issue'.

> The September Issue

Director: R. J. Cutler

Cast: Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, Edward Enninful, Thakoon Panichgul, Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang, Jean Paul Gaultier, Sienna Miller

Rating: (PG)

5 stars (out of 5)

Review by Christine Powley

If an ex-assistant of yours wrote a chick-lit novel that included a chilly female editor, and that novel got turned into a film in which everyone was convinced Meryl Streep was playing you, would your response be to allow a documentary to be made showing you at work?

Luckily American Vogue editor Anna Wintour thought it would be great damage control. The September Issue (Rialto) shows the creation of Vogue's September issue, which is a big deal.

It contains the directional editorial content for the coming fashion year. It has the most advertisements and one in 10 American women will buy it.

They start work on it nine months out from deadline and it seems every week of the long gestational period contains a drama.

The passive-aggressive drama of muttering into your salad, as you plot how to regroup after Wintour has vetoed half your photo shoot. Wintour is tough, but that is part of her job. What is fascinating is how she displays that toughness.

When you have really messed up, she keeps her sunglasses on and refuses to look at you. It does not sound unnerving, but it works. This all-access pass to the high temple of fashion could simply have been one for the fashion geeks.

Instead it turns out to be strangely universal. Let's face it, we all love a horror-boss story.

Best thing: Grace Coddington, Wintour's hard-pressed creative director. Her dramatic talent for styling photo shoots steals the film from Wintour's flinty editor's eye.

Worst thing: How much this is all about money.

See it with: Not just a design student: anyone doing a business degree should check this out as well.