Theatrical Release Date:January 1, 2009 Release Date:February 16, 2010 Availability:Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Synopsis:
Audrey Tautou (The Da Vinci Code, Amélie) shines in this intriguing portrait of the early life of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, the orphan who would build a fashion empire and be known universally by her nickname, Coco. She journeys from a mundane seamstress job to boisterous cabarets to the opulent French countryside, possessing little more than her unwavering determination, unique style and visionary talent. Also starring Benoît Poelvoorde (In His Hands) and Alessandro Nivola (Junebug). Featuring lush settings and stunning costume design, Coco Before Chanel is the gripping and dramatic story of an icon who defied convention and defined the modern woman.
slow, subtle and absolutely beautifulNovember 28, 2009 Carrie LaGree(Albany, NY) 44 out of 46 found this review helpful
Coco Before Chanel is aptly titled; it follows Coco Chanel from her time in an orphanage, but it stops where most people become familiar with her story. The film stars the delightful Audrey Tatou as Coco. Perhaps my favorite thing about Coco Before Chanel was it's honesty. I confess to loving the feel-good rags to riches biopics as much as anyone, but it's rare to see a biographical film provide hope with honesty and without sappiness. Most of the film is not feel good. It's hardly depressing, but it is real. Coco didn't have an easy life. She and her sister were orphans, and they fought for opportunities. Coco makes some decisions she may not be proud of, but she doesn't regret them. She doesn't have the dream of becoming a fashion designer from day one, just as few of us truly know what we'll end up doing from the beginning. Her skills, experience and desire for self-sufficiency slowly evolve to lead her to it.
The film is a little slow, but it's similar to the pace of her life. It seems like it's not going anywhere for awhile, and if you didn't know what Chanel is, you might think that. I personally thought the subtitles were a little fast. My French is decent enough to understand some of the dialogue, but I often read the subtitle before the characters had begun to speak their lines. The beautiful lulls of dialogue featured the next subtitle, which threw off the pace a bit for me.
The beauty of the film comes in its last half hour, when it becomes clear the slowness was in fact subtlety leading to a mesmerizing and poetic final half-hour. It's the kind of film one might be tempted to stop watching if she were at home, but ends up loving. It truly is a film that is the sum of it's parts. It works as a whole, but it's not necessarily riveting from the opening frame.
It's a beautifully feminist film; it's an honest look at one woman's struggle and journey for her place in the world. It's not a film with universal appeal, but it is a fantastic, beautiful, and inspiring film. If you like foreign films, historical films, biopics and strong female leads, then I highly recommend this film.
loved itOctober 29, 2009 P. Spijkers(stamford, ct United States) 14 out of 15 found this review helpful
This film about Coco Chanel in her early years is a delight to see. The cinematography is beautiful, the musical score romantic, the actors make the characters come to life. This film is more about her early relationships and first love and her non-conformistic view on fashion and independence. I loved every minute of it. Audrey Tautou is wonderful as Coco. Alessandro Nivola is a captivating Boy Chapel and Benoit Poelvoorde is a great cast as Balsan.
Tautou is Coco!!December 12, 2009 E. Balboa(Texas) 7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Loved Tautou as Chanel in this beautiful biopic! It covers Coco's life as a young child and then proceeds to adulthood as she finds her passion for fashion! It is beautifully filmed and tells the story of her life in lush detail as she proceeds from a not-so-talented cabaret singer to a seamstress and then to the quintessential and innovative designer of haute couture and gorgeous yet sensible fashion. I loved it! I can't wait until it is released all over the US or released as a DVD so I can see it again. I highly recommend it!
Amazing movieDecember 23, 2009 Nadia Smith(Connecticut) 6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I'll be VERY brief - already amazing reviews here.
Please-please don't fogret that the movie is called "Coco BEFORE Chanel".
It's about her childhood and youth and HOW she became Chanel, not about fashion in general...although you can see already how great she will become, how she's changing women's fashion in the beginning of the century - simple hats,stunning glorious elegant dresses, no corsets,sailor shirts,mans pants,short hair & coveted little black dress and why...
She's just starting out and the movie is showing you HOW - that's the point!!!
P.S.A great movie to see after this one is "Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky" - not available yet,it was shown in Cannes and you can see the trailer on Youtube( the book is FINALLY available in States, I bought my copy of Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky in London in 2002.Buy the book for now - you won't be able to put it down!!! I read it in 2 days. )
great vicarious funMarch 20, 2010 W. Hall(los angeles) for any girls out there who didn't end up getting married or falling into more traditional paths, this is a nice 2 hour diversion. a mix of fantasy and reality, i appreciated the interpretation of her life being quite random and lost before she found her track, it made it more conceivable. that and despite the stupid mustache, that guy was so damn sexy
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