By Keeva Stratton
Runtime: 84 mins
Rating: PG
Reviewer Rating: 4.5/5
Release date: November 3
At Rescu. we love our fashion, so when fashion and film are combined in a way that is truly extraordinary—as it is with the documentary Bill Cunningham New York by Richard Press—it really is a moment to celebrate. The documentary chronicles several years of fashion photographer Bill Cunningham’s daily routine. As the leading fashion journalist for the New York Times, involved with the fashion industry since he returned from the army in his twenties, as a writer, photographer and even milliner, at 82, Bill is a very special man.
He is adored by the New York fashionistas and social elite, still attends the most extravagant soirees known to man, and yet he never takes so much as a goodie bag: “Money is cheap, it’s freedom that’s expensive,” he says. And this pretty 
much sums up Bill the man. He loves what he does, and yet he wants to always do so on his own terms.
His regular columns in the New York Times can change your status. As Anna Wintour quips in the film, “One snap or two snaps and you’re ok, but if Bill doesn’t take your photo, it’s death.” And she should know. While Bill captures the latest from the New York runways, he himself dresses in a utilitarian blue coat, and rides around the city on a humble bicycle. It would seem that everything he does, he does for his passion, and he clearly inspires those around him.
His life, it would seem, has truly been extraordinary. From his work, to his unabated devotion to his craft—at 82, Bill confirms that he has never himself had a romantic relationship. There is also an extraordinary sadness, when you realise that this devout Catholic has sacrificed his chances of finding love in favour of obedience to the dictates of his faith. But thank God for Bill Cunningham; he has brought beauty to the world and has provided a legacy of meticulously chronicled fashion for all to adore.
As a film it’s a must-see for so many reasons. From the incredible fashion, to the inspiration he provides, it is a rare glimpse inside one of fashion’s most intriguing figures. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll leave the cinema wanting to rekindle the sparks of your own creativity.
Bill Cunningham New York is in limited release from November 3. Make the effort to go and see it; you’ll be the richer for it indeed.
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