Coco Before Chanel Directed by: Anne Fontaine Cast: Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola Running Time: 1 hr 45 mins Rating: PG-13 Release Date: September 25, 2009
PLOT: The story of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (Tautou) and the love triangle (Poelvoorde and Nivola) that would support her in becoming an icon of the fashion world.
WHO'S IT FOR? A narrow audience - the same crowd that doesn't mind subtitles and (willingly) saw something like Pride and Prejudice.
EXPECTATIONS: I had heard murmurs of "Oscar" for Tautou's performance, but I would've been just fine with an engaging biopic.
SCORECARD (0-10)
ACTORS: Audrey Tautou as "Coco" Chanel: Romantic roles can bring out a special radiance from Tautou (Amelie), but the stoic Coco, despite her "chick flick" cushioning, is a tad too Da Vinci Code for this performance to stand much above average. Indeed, "Coco" is a strong woman, but this turn is more similar to a zombie than that of one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people. Score: 5
Benoit Poelvoorde as Etienne Balsan: An unusual romantic lead in that he's a dominating territorial jerk, despite being somewhat of a pushover to Coco's self-inviting charm. Poelvoorde helps make this seemingly sub-character interesting, even if he is written flatly. Score: 5
Alessandro Nivola as Arthur "Boy" Capel: The prince charming that is meant to save the day but doesn't. What happens to him in the third act questions whether he was thought of as more than plotice device in the first place - and a flimsy one, at that. Score: 3
TALKING: Aside from a couple of lines that are in English, this French film does indeed have subtitles. While this is corny romantic crap in story set up, the dialogue is thankfully without cheese. Score: 4
SIGHTS: Throughout the movie, we see Coco's critical eye in action, as she cuts something from a piece of conservative 1910's garb and transforms it into something new. But other than a few hats and a seductive black dress, we never fully understand the Chanel sense of fashion except for a brief runway scene, which is also the last shot of the film. This is a period piece, certainly, so fans of costuming will be able to champion the detailed art design. But the movie's main event, Coco's creations, are sadly understated. Score: 5
SOUNDS: Sometimes the scores of Alexandre Desplat are a tad too mysterious - but when considering the hits (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and the misses (Cheri), this is one of his better fits. Tautou sings the song "Where's Coco?" at least twice - but it's only amusing once. Score: 6
PLOT SPOILERS
BEST SCENE: The moment when Coco designs her own night dress is a nice example of the ways her style always sought to free the conservative.
ENDING: A tragedy leaves little effect on us. But if you've ever worn Chanel, you obviously know that Coco does come out on top.
QUESTIONS: Who decided the film should end so early in Coco's life?
REWATCHABILITY: Maybe. If there's a date involved I'd be more inclined, but for now a repeat viewing of the super adorable Amelie sounds much more delightful.
OVERALL
A whole feature film about the brilliant “Coco” Chanel, and we don’t understand the hard working woman’s passion for fashion. For some ugly reason this biopic, which trims Coco’s life and resizes it to be a chick flick, finds more priority in the woman’s weak romantic life, which is closer to whoredom than empowerment. She is shown using the two men that fall for her concrete stare and mopey-ness more than she is presented as a woman dedicated to simplistic style. Coco Before Chanel certainly purveys the humble, almost desperate beginnings of the fashion icon, but does little to explore the resulting success. We are given only a few lines of text that say she her hard work (whatever that may be) was ultimately successful. That's a tad too simple, even by Coco's standards.
FINAL SCORE: 4/10