The movie details Chanel’s early life but doesn’t show her greater successes. The great designer,. played by Audrey Tatou, began life in an orphanage, abandoned by her irresponsible father.
She then sang in sleazy cafes for a living. Here she met the aristocratic Etienne Balsan, who took her to live in his chateau.
She deserted Balsan for the wealthy Englishman, Boy Capel, with whom she fell madly in love. Balsan and Capel set Chanel up in her own boutiques, giving her start. She had many other lovers after them but they play no part in the movie.
The Sumptuous Settings of Coco Avant Chanel
The look of the movie is almost perfect. The contrast between Chanel’s early life and her life in the chateau with Balsan is very well done. Chanel is shown as a lonely child who longs for visitors. Later, dressed in drab clothes, she sings in cafes with her friend.
The chateau has French antique furniture, beautiful gardens and large, comfortable bedrooms. Chanel and Capel travel through sweeping green fields and go to a famous seaside resort. The women of the movie dress in large, over-decorated Edwardian hats, lace dresses with impractical trains and wear corsets until Chanel begins her ‘style revolution’.
The Acting in Coco Avant Chanel
The film has excellent acting. Audrey Tautou portrays the calculation and ambition of the young Coco very well, and adds a certain sweetness and charm. Alessandro Nivola is also very charming as the wealthy Boy Capel. Benoit Poelvoorde is believable as Etienne Balsan and shows the complications of the character.
The Script and Music of Coco Avant Chanel
Although the script concentrates on the love story between Chanel and Boy Capel, Chanel’s rise to fame is shown quite cleverly. Chanel learns how to be a lady the hard way. Chanel learns how to be a lady the hard way. We see her struggling with table manners, reading books from Balsan’s library, and demanding to be taught to ride. Capel’s quotations, including one from Emily Bronte, add a nice literary touch.
The romantic and lyrical music by Alexandre Desplat provides a memorable soundtrack for the movie.
There have been other movies made about Coco Chanel recently, including one with Shirley Maclaine and one about her alleged affair with the Russian composer, Stravinsky. Chanel devotees will probably be interested in all of them. This one is certainly worth seeing. It is, indeed, difficult to fault. The only problem is that it is a bit short and ends rather suddenly.
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