It's 2007 New York. The people at Vogue magazine are putting together the next September issue which is considered the yearly fashion bible. Anna Wintour is the legendary chief editor who commands the magazine and by extension the fashion world. The other main character is former model Grace Coddington who is now creative director. She is the only one who challenges Anna on her decisions. André Leon Talley is portrayed more as a sycophant. While it dives into the making of the issue, the business side of the magazine does not get as much time. There are small moments of personal reveals that cracks ever so slightly her steely facade. She talks about her family in a couple of scenes and her daughter has an appearance. It's a very small peak behind the curtains. This is a slice of an elite business. It's fascinating for some people and mildly interesting for everybody else.

Am I the only one that agrees with Tessa 11. This clunker has all the earmarks of R.J. Cutler being 'paid' to make a corporate video for Vogue...for about $500 including meals. Why $500? Well, take about 20 miniDV tapes at $5 each. That's $100. Then add about $400 for food for a week in NYC. Presto: Boring video about fashion world.Was this film in the..the theaters? IMDb says it made money. Wow! I thought it was a Lifetime video when I got it for free from our local library. Were patrons able to get a refund on their tickets?Make no mistake. I love beautiful girls. I love great fashion. I have several Polo shirts and shorts.The only fashion in this diatribe is the few runway shots, and quick two second glimpses of models blow drying their hair. There was a quick 1 second shot of Anna as a 21 yr old as a babe with the oh-so-chic black page boy with bangs. OK, she was hot back then.R.J tries to be the next Fred Wiseman, but falls way, way short as his forte seems to be those bogus 'reality shows' for cable and offers not much in behind the scenes here, giving the film a 'corporate video' look and feel.With no voice over to guide the viewer, this video seems to follow dowagers and former fashionistas through hallways and into limos, and with a few inane conversations with co-workers. Is that all they do is walk down hallways and look at light boxes with slides on them? Oh, once in awhile they open their lipstick lips to utter nonsense about the 'fabulous' September phone book size issue of Vogue. Was that big redhead a former UFC cage fighter. One wonders.The only 'exposure' of the fashion world was something everyone knew. No one wears those clothes except for a few fashion mavens that appear in the back pages of the NYT when they are photographed by Bill Cunningham at social events in faux haute couture clothing.And we all know that those fabulous models can hardly wait to get home slip out of those 4" heels and skin tight pencil skirts or fu fu skirts and throw on a t-short and shorts, and tennis shoes.The viewer would find much more excitement in watching Real Housewives of Miami and pondering whether the "wives" are going to get drunk on Vodka or Scotch and if they will get their french nails done in time for weekly Saturday party. OMG, will they be able to do it in time. Hey get R.J. on this we need a corporate video here.

My fashionable daughter insisted that my wife and I watch this movie. I liked it very much even though I am not into fashion. I think the movie gave some interesting insights into Vogue magazine and the power it wields.However, my reaction to Anna Wintour, the Editor in Chief, and Grace Coddington, Vogue's Creative Director is what reinforced in me a conclusion that I became aware of years before. Anna Wintour, who most would say is very good looking, came off as very cold and distant and not especially likable. Grace Coddington on the other hand, who is eight years older and does very little to enhance her looks, especially with her hair, came off as smart, honest, thoughtful and very likable. By the conclusion of the movie, I found Grace Coddington to be by far the better looking of the two. The reason is that she had an inner beauty that shined through while, in my opinion, Anna did not.I learned at an early age that your conception of looks and beauty of a person can change greatly when you get to know that person.

It is best to remember that this film is pre-economic breakdown and surely many of the perks are gone. That said, the September issue is really an unfolding mystery story about a woman with little talent who manages to become the editor of the most popular fashion magazine in the world. The documentary is also a war story between two minds, Wintour and Coddington's. Wintour is the general, so she gets to decide and in general, no pun intended, she makes bad decisions. It is impressive that the documentary got made and that Wintour, who must have seen it was OK with the image its portrays of her because, the source of her power, her editorship are nowhere to be found. Wintour behaves like a celebrity because when the veil is drawn, there is not much there. Her visual sense is tired and the manner in which she makes her decisions, with wimp art director Charlie Churchward, is appalling. It is one of those ongoing ironies that editors get to claim the honors for their magazines, when the real visual artists, in this case, Grace Coddington, have to play second fiddle to people so clearly less talented. The only one to escape this fate was Fabion Barone, who having worked for Harper's Bizaar, actually is seen as the force behind the success of the magazine. The other elephant in the room about this documentary is that no one seems very happy. Anna clearly is depressed about being seen as a lightweight in her family (i.e.,fashion), even her own daughter, while clearly enjoying the riches of her mothers fame, doesn't "get it." Grace and her weathered face tell it all: it is torture to work with his talentless woman called the editor and all the minions run around in fear—of what exactly is the real question...which reveals Anna's only real talent and power she has: the ability to fire people.