Like many others I discovered the talent of actress Audrey Tautou in 2001's when I saw the Oscar nominated Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain or simply Amélie as it has become known. Tautou had appeared in 7 or 8 films prior to 2001 but Jean-Pierre Jeunet's whimsical love letter to Paris was her first true starring role. The films that followed have been eclectic and of varying success from the critically acclaimed and one of my personal favorites, Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement) to her first foray into the world of Hollywood blockbusters with the frankly rather average adaptation of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. So when I first heard she would be playing the lead in a biopic of the 'pre-fashion empire' part of Coco Chanel's life I was intrigued and also relieved that Keira Knightley who was originally offered the role of Coco had other plans!I admit I am not one who makes a habit out of following French fashion houses that closely but I think you have to lived a pretty isolated life not to have heard about or read about the legend that was Coco Chanel. Helmed by La Fille De Monaco director Anne Fontaine who also wrote the screenplay, the film as the title suggests, looks at what happened in Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel's life before she became the head of her own fashion empire.
In what is essentially a 'rags to riches' true life fairytale we first meet Coco as an orphan who grows into a strident and confident young woman making a living as a singer with her sister in a small town bar. We also see that she is a talented seamstress with not just the ability to make and repair women's clothes but vitally an eye for what works and what doesn't. Fate gets involved as it so often does in these kind of stories while Coco is singing at the bar because it is there that she meets the wealthy Baron Balsan, played beautifully by Benoît Poelvoorde who I thought was hysterically funny in his role as Julius Caesar's son Brutus in Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques. It's the Baron who gives Coco her entry into high society and a chance to develop what was once just a hobby and start a small business making women's hats. Unfortunately for him as his love grows for young Coco she ends up falling for one of his friends, Englishman Arthur 'Boy' Capel and life and love become too complicated for all concerned.
Fontaine has shot a beautiful movie with attention to detail not just in sets and location to reflect the era but also in the mannerisms of the time where social status is the only key to fiscal success in life. Tautou gives an excellent performance as Chanel infusing the strength, single mindedness and will to succeed that lifted one woman out of poverty and into a life of riches and power. However Chanel was clearly a complex character and I felt throughout the movie even though it was only dealing with the time before the Chanel empire was created that the story was being told in very broad strokes. It was like watching an actress giving a great performance while the story struggled to keep up which is why at a few points during the movie I found myself frustrated that we weren't seeing more revealed about what was going on inside Chanel's mind. That said such is the quality of Tautou's portrayal now I have seen Coco Avant Chanel I think I will struggle to watch the other movie that is out about her life, Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky, where Coco is played by Anna Mouglalis.
As I said Poelvoorde also played the Baron well and you certainly have to take your hat off to American, Alessandro Nivola who learned to speak French to play the role of Arthur 'Boy' Capel who Coco fell in love with. But ultimately while beautiful to look at and with some compelling performances this film was not able to really grab me and make a lasting impression.
Rating: ***
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