Dvd
Coco avant Chanel
The brilliant Audrey Tautou plays the headstrong, self-sufficient designer who, in pre-First World War France, was one of the first women to assert herself in a man's world.
Born poor in 1883 in rural France, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel overcame her lack of breeding via a keen eye, forthright manner and revolutionary approach to women's tailoring that, incredibly, transformed a gruff peasant girl into the embodiment of chic. The iconic innovator lived to be 87 but the film concentrates on the stretch of time specified in the title ('Coco Before Chanel'), as Chanel scrambles to get by, absorbs visual inspiration from her surroundings and unabashedly uses men to get closer to Paris. [Source: NZ International Film Festival]
Starring Audrey Tautou, Benoît Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devo
Directed by Anne Fontaine ('The Girl from Monaco')
Written by Anne Fontaine, Camille Fontaine, Christopher Hampton, Jacques Fieschi (based on the book L'Irrégulière, ou mon itinéraire Chanel by Edmonde Charles-Roux)
Drama, Biography | 1hr 45mins | Rated (PG) | contains coarse language | Origin: France | Language: In French with English subtitles | Official Site »
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The Talk
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Flicks review
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3
Fashionistas, be warned. Those expecting a lavish romp through Chanel's collections will be disappointed. For while couture and this well-known creator of it is front and centre, writer-director Anne Fontaine's biopic is more an entree to Coco's career than the full degustation some might have wished for.
That said, it does prove an interesting insight into what made her a rule-breaking, style-making designer. While the direction is visually uninspired, costumes aside, credit Fontaine with following a coherent chronology rather than the styles-du-jour of a contemporary frame tale or the fractured narrative that marred and muddied La Vie En Rose.
Tautou, sporting Diane Keaton's wardrobe and a ubiquitous cigarette, is again a striking presence, with Chanel providing more grit and grimaces than the eternally optimistic Amelie that made her a star.
Composer Alexandre Desplat's (The Painted Veil, The Queen) subtle, piano-based score is evocative and up to his usual high standards but overall this is closer to Pretty Woman or Pygmalion than Paris Fashion Week and lacks a little panache or je ne sais quoi to make it truly memorable.SHARE:
The people's reviews
9 reviews
Press Reviews
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Empire (UK)
3
More a snapshot of a moment than conventional biography, and while less complex than it might want to be, still a quietly thoughtful look at one of the 20th century’s most influential characters.
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Lumiere Reader (Wellington)
While handsomely crafted and enjoyable enough, Coco avant Chanel ultimately fails to live up to the potential of its colourful subject. Admittedly, I’m probably not the target market, and if the ‘sold out’ sign hanging from the box office at my screening is anything to go by, this looks set to become the crowd-pleasing hit of the festival.
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NZ Herald (Joanna Hunkin)
3
Much like Chanel's signature designs, the film is precise, tailored and stylish - but conservative. Things are hinted at but rarely spelt out. The film seeks to explain how Chanel became the mogul she did and reveals various, subtle threads that shaped her life. But the whole thing feels like it is laying the foundations for the film you really want to see - the one about a glamorous designer conquering the world.
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Total Film (UK)
3
Playing Coco’s orphaned beginnings like a violin, writer/director Anne Fontaine shows a sure hand when it comes to emotional button-pushing. But she dithers over how to end and her pedestrian shooting style (offset by stark production design) suits her spiky subject about as well as the bloom-laden hats she reviled.
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Urban Cinefile (Australia)
For all its niggling faults, Coco Avant Chanel, is an engaging film which provides some insight into the birth of a business that became a global empire - all because of one determined young woman.
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