| |
RATING:  
Coco Before Chanel tells the story of the life of one of fashion's most influential designers before she established her classic brand; a rich, dark prequel to the glamour and elegance that the woman herself came to stand for.
Having spent her early years in an orphanage, the young Chanel ekes out a meagre living sewing and singing in bars, takes up with a rich man, and falls in love. Audrey Tautou plays Chanel in this biopic directed by Anne Fontaine and filmed in French with English subtitles.
The film is as austere and plain as Coco's prototype dresses, although it does contain a series of vibrant, lovingly detailed snapshots of her energy, contrasted with the grim and barren landscapes of her personal relationships.
But even though Coco's own life story is exciting and full of potential, the film's treatment of it is dull.
In our eyes, Tautou can do no wrong, but here, her signature pout is humourless thanks to the way the character is written.
Coco seems to suffer from a permanent case of PMS - it's hard to warm to a character that's petulant, self-centred and condescending towards those whom she judges to be fashion victims.
By the end of the film, you still don't feel as if you have even come close to understanding this Coco Chanel, the one with Audrey Tautou's dark, inscrutable eyes. Perhaps the film is superficial, having taken on more than it can handle.
Perhaps the mystery of the woman in the couture jacket and the pearls is part of the point.
- TODAY/yb
|
