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THE SEPTEMBER ISSUEMovie Reviews
Documentary about Anna Wintour and the assembly of Vogue's September 2007 issue, the biggest single issue in the magazine's long history. Cast:Anna WintourDirector:R.J. CutlerRelease Date:August 28, 2009DVD Release:February 23, 2010From:Roadside AttractionsRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 30 min
FEBRUARY 23, 2010
The September Issue, Very Good Reviews (Doc) Key Cities
The September Issue played in key cities to very good reviews. • Ruth McCann wrote in the Washington Post, "It's delicious and ensnaring and easy on the eyes, but it can't give you the definitive truth about notoriously frosty Vogue editor Anna Wintour." • And Sheri Linden wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "...slight, if often riveting... a portrait of unapologetic girlie power..." More Reviews Below...
The September Issue Positive Reviews (44 Reviews, reviews below)
Jason Lynch, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "...engaging... follows Anna Wintour, who helped inspire 'The Devil Wears Prada's' withering editor, as she prepares the fashion bible's top-selling September issue."(See all of Jason Lynch's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 67 words, 08/27/09
Mary Pols, Time: VERY GOOD "Grace Coddington is the creative sponge who soaks up beauty on behalf of Vogue, while Anna Wintour is the hand squeezing it. Mean Anna!... lively storytelling..."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 08/28/09
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "I came away liking Anna Wintour more than I thought I would, but mostly with an appreciation for her mission... to give femininity its sheen."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 747 words, 08/28/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "What we do come away with is an appreciation for clothing and photography as art forms and the kind of work and emotion that go into each issue..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 279 words, 08/27/09
Bradley Jacobs, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a nuanced look at the detail, drive and artistic demands that go into shaping the clothing bible... The flick's standout star? Vogue's creative director Grace Coddington..."(See all of Bradley Jacobs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 101 words, 09/03/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "While it doesn't scratch much below the surface, 'The September Issue' is an entertainingly voyeuristic glimpse into the fashion world."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 526 words, 09/11/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "...has little to say about fashion, the real ins and outs of publishing or the inner workings and demons of the magazine's notoriously demanding meanie-in-chief."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 893 words, 08/28/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...aims to address one of the burning questions of our time: Is Vogue editor Anna Wintour really the Devil in Prada-designed disguise?"(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 08/28/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...she approves of fur and disapproves of black. She shows great affection in a scene with her bright daughter, Katherine. Otherwise, like the Sphinx, she regards."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 755 words, 09/10/09
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...slight, if often riveting... a portrait of unapologetic girlie power... director R.J. Cutler has made a documentary of access, not revelation."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 449 words, 09/11/09
Kyle Smith, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...if a syllable could kill (and it can, can't it?), the movie would be the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' of the stiletto-heeled and dagger-toothed."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 653 words, 08/28/09
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "You don't know how much to believe... But it's sort of irresistible anyway, and there's no 'sort of' about Coddington, a valiant editorial warrior with a sense of humor."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 386 words, 09/11/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...fun if slightly superficial... more about surface than depth, much like its subject. And in case you're wondering: Yes, this movie makes you look fat."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 287 words, 09/04/09
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the cinematic equivalent of slipping into the magazine's perfumed pages. It's a crisply edited vision of an exotic world... Will they make the deadline on time?"(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 713 words, 10/23/09
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Wintour's arctic imperiousness has a way of creating the most masochistic deference, a dynamic that R.J Cutler superficially explores -- and becomes prone to..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 08/26/09
Ruth McCann, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It's delicious and ensnaring and easy on the eyes, but it can't give you the definitive truth about notoriously frosty Vogue editor Anna Wintour."(See all of Ruth McCann's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 09/11/09
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Anna Wintour isn't the only star of this crisp and entertaining documentary... less a portrait of a single woman than a bullet-train tour through her fief."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 575 words, 09/18/09
Joy Tipping, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...everything one could hope for in a movie experience: drama, wit, stifled rage, unbridled glee, pouty adolescents wearing far too much makeup, massive egos..."(See all of Joy Tipping's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 575 words, 09/11/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "Coddington is the heart of it, the character we most identify with, giving the film more depth than you'd think the glossy pages of a fashion magazine would allow."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 565 words, 09/25/09
Sara Glassman, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: EXCELLENT(cg) "...the most fascinating 'character' to emerge is that of creative director Grace Coddington. She brings the romance to the fashion world and the movie."(See all of Sara Glassman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 198 words, 09/11/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Coddington and her artistry steal the movie. At one point, she does an eye-roll so spectacular that it involves her entire head; a useful skill, it seems, at Vogue..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 399 words, 10/02/09
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "It may not turn fashion-haters around, but it's as close as most of us are likely to get to comprehending what goes on in that most ethereal of worlds."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 633 words, 09/11/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...gives us a privileged peek into the most photogenic niche of the publishing world, but it doesn't delve into motivations or develop a vision of its own."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 389 words, 09/11/09
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD(cg) "While briskly edited to maintain interest, the movie is wedged between fawning praise and so-what revelations. It makes a guy proud to shop at Target for clothes."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 418 words, 09/24/09
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...brisk and snappy... as for getting close to Wintour - or even explaining the unfathomable mystery that can be haute couture - the film comes up empty."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 478 words, 09/11/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: MODERATE(cg) "Anna Wintour never lets her colleagues see her perspire -- and never reveals a spontaneous thought or emotion, or a fascinating one, either."(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 09/11/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Director R.J. Cutler and cinematographer Bob Richman prepped the magazine's staff... Coddington's initial reaction to the crew was, 'Get away from me.' "(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 803 words, 09/11/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Wintour's arctic imperiousness has a way of creating the most masochistic deference, a dynamic that R.J Cutler superficially explores -- and becomes prone to..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 08/26/09
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...subversively entertaining... details the blood, sweat and tears Vogue editor Anna Wintour exacted from her staff to produce the mammoth 2007 issue..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 476 words, 09/11/09
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: VERY GOOD "Unless you're a Wintour devotee, 'The September Issue' is most interesting in its portrayal of the day-to-day races and scuffles behind the publication."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 404 words, 09/10/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "...has little to say about fashion, the real ins and outs of publishing or the inner workings and demons of the magazine's notoriously demanding meanie-in-chief."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 893 words, 08/28/09
Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "The press notes boast that Mr. Cutler was given 'unprecedented access' and the right of final cut; these advantages don't seem to have done much for this listless film."(See all of Joanne Kaufman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 08/28/09
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...slight, if often riveting... a portrait of unapologetic girlie power... director R.J. Cutler has made a documentary of access, not revelation."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 449 words, 09/11/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Some juicier behind-the-scenes drama and a more revealing examination of the creative process might have bulked up 'The September Issue'..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 612 words, 01/20/09
Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "Consistent with her ice queen reputation, Wintour is often disconcertingly direct and frequently unfeeling, though not without a dry sense of humor."(See all of Justin Lowe's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 532 words, 01/26/09
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...slight, if often riveting... a portrait of unapologetic girlie power... director R.J. Cutler has made a documentary of access, not revelation."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 449 words, 09/11/09
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "...has little to say about fashion, the real ins and outs of publishing or the inner workings and demons of the magazine's notoriously demanding meanie-in-chief."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 893 words, 08/28/09
Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "The press notes boast that Mr. Cutler was given 'unprecedented access' and the right of final cut; these advantages don't seem to have done much for this listless film."(See all of Joanne Kaufman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 08/28/09
16.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The September Issue's reviews are separated by an average 16.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The September Issue (44 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The September Issue's reviews cover 92.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 22,284 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 506 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The September Issue Coverage, Volume & Length (44 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 7 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The September Issue's reviews on average broke 7 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The September Issue's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The September Issue (44 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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