"COCO BEFORE CHANEL" (2009) (Audrey Tautou, Alessandro Nivola) (PG-13)
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QUICK TAKE:
Historical drama: Coco Chanel struggles to find her destiny as a fashion designer in early 20th-century France while juggling romances with two wealthy men.
PLOT:
The film chronicles the early life of French fashion magnate Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (AUDREY TAUTOU), who grew up in an orphanage with her sister, Adrienne (MARIE GILLAIN). The Chanel sisters grow up to become singers on the French nightclub scene circa 1908, hoping they will meet rich barons who would marry them.
When Adrienne gets her wish or so she thinks, Coco gravitates to a wealthy older man named Etienne Balsan (BENOIT POELVOORDE) and becomes a glorified squatter at his French country estate. She gives him sex, sings at his pretentious cocktail parties, and makes hats for his rich female neighbors. In return, he gives her an ornate mansion to live in, good meals (although she is relegated to the kitchen with the other hired help), and horses to ride.
Against her better judgment, Coco eventually falls in love with Etienne's colleague, a British businessman named Arthur "Boy" Capel (ALESSANDRO NIVOLA). He falls for her, too, even as he keeps his engagement to a wealthy woman back in London a secret. Coco eventually finds out, forcing her to choose between a continued life of sheltered luxury at the Balsan estate where she will always be subservient to the generally good-hearted Etienne or striking out on her own and fulfilling her fashion-designing dreams.
OUR TAKE: 6.5 out of 10
The story of how Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel became one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century is an undeniably fascinating one. One that is worth telling on the big screen, in fact. And I wish writer-director Anne Fontaine had spent more time showing us how in fact she reached prominence in a male-dominated profession similar to how Nora Ephron laid out Julia Child's rise to superstar chef status in this year's "Julie & Julia."
But this is more the story of Coco Chanel's earlier days as a struggling, nightclub singer in France. It's about her days (and nights) chasing wealthy, older men with money. And it's also about her ultimately being given the choice to remain shackled by the social confines of early 20th-century Europe or muster the courage to take that first step towards a destiny that would change the course of an entire industry.
As Chanel, former "Amelie" star Audrey Tautou is terrific. In her performance, you not only see the young woman that Coco Chanel was in her early 20s, but also the strong, tough, driven entrepreneur she will become. The rest of the cast is terrific, especially Marie Gallien as her sister, Adrienne, who lives as a kept woman in the French countryside. Coco both admires and pities her sibling, knowing that she herself is meant for more, but still yearning for the kind of wealth and comforts Adrienne's married lover bestows on her.
The film develops into a love triangle of sorts, as Coco beds Etienne, a rich, middle-aged French baron (Benoit Poelvoorde) and subsequently takes up residence in his mansion. There, she falls for Arthur, a dashing, younger businessman from England. Alessandro Nivola of "Jurassic Park III" and "Junebug" fame plays this role. And with the majority of his dialogue in French, it's quite an impressive performance.
Production values are high. The musical score by Alexandre Desplat is positively hypnotic. So, too, is Christophe Beaucarne's sumptuous cinematography. Beyond that, the film absolutely must succeed on a costume design level, and it does. Catherine Leterrier of "Ready to Wear" fame and her crew work wonders here on what must have been a limited budget, and, wow, do their efforts pay off! A climactic fashion show in Paris several years into Coco Chanel's future is unbelievably amazing to behold.
I just wish we had seen more of how Chanel built her empire, took her business by the reins, and succeeded in such a male-dominated industry. There is a truly great movie to be made from that part of her story. That lingering feeling of incompleteness is why "Coco Before Chanel" rates as only a 6.5 out of 10. (T. Durgin)
Reviewed October 11, 2009 / Posted October 16, 2009
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