Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009

'The September Issue Fashion' fascinates

By Gary Wolcott, atomictown.com

Don’t get this wrong. The September Issue is a very good movie.

But ask anyone. Fashion isn’t my thing. I was in my 30s before someone finally told me that pants and shirt ought to match. There have been times in my life when I had to be fashionable. Today, I own a suit and a fairly nice wardrobe that I never wear. When I do dress up, I still need help matching things up. Pants and shirt I can do. Matching ties with said items remains a struggle.

-- Local show times, theaters.

By now you’ve guessed that I don’t care much about fashion. I will admit to my interest getting piqued by the Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue, but that’s really not about fashion. And I don’t go out of my way to obtain the issue. If I find it lying around somewhere, I check it out. Other than that, supermodels in clothes that only look good on supermodels don’t interest me at all.

The September Issue is a several months long look at how Vogue magazine’s biggest issue of the year is put together. The September issue — in this case — is from 2007 and it ends up weighing five pounds and has the most pages in the magazine’s history.

Oh, goodie.

Documentarian R.J. Cutler’s focus is how editor-in-chief Anna Wintour’s staff negotiate its way through the intense preparation for the publication. Though the dour and stoic Wintour is the focus, catty cuts at her editing choices by key staff members is more revealing and fascinating.

That is if fashion fascinates.

Cutler travels with Wintour and her staff to the fashion factories of the world, and we are flies on the wall of conversations about what will make fashion fashionable in the year to come. That doesn’t push my buttons, but publishing does and how Wintour whittles down hundreds of photos, story ideas, model portraits and debates with a less-than-happy staff into a final cut is interesting.

Even if you don’t like fashion.

Mr. Movie rating: 4 stars

Rated PG-13 for mature themes. It opens Friday, Oct. 23 at the Carmike 12.

5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.