Around the turn of the 20th century, Gabrielle Chanel (Audrey Tautou) grows up in an orphanage, then works as a seamstress and performer, where she earns the nickname Coco. Traveling determinedly through life, she becomes houseguest/lover to Balsan (Benoit Poelvoorde) and begins making hats for his actress friends. Then she meets Boy Capel (Alessandro Nivola), the love of her life. He helps her begin an actual clothing business, and then tragedy strikes. But the woman now known as Coco Chanel survives and establishes her empire.

CRITIQUE

France and fashion are synonymous in most people’s minds. The reason why no doubt stretches back centuries, but one indisputable fact is that the period between the World Wars was one that advanced what women wear to a major degree. One of the women responsible for this was, of course, Gabrielle Chanel, nicknamed Coco. She led the charge to free women from corsets and ended up building for herself a clothing house that still bears her name. Coco Before Chanel entertains with a story at once dramatic, romantic, and inspiring, with amazing performances and stunning production values.

To begin with, the narrative itself is strikingly cinematic, providing plenty of visual and emotional cues, most of which have all the more impact because of their being factual. It is unendingly interesting to see how the events of a person’s early life can manifestly impact the achievements that come later and make them famous, even if it is a dramatization. The almost clichéd device of an orphaned childhood takes on none of that feeling here, both because of it’s accuracy and because of the light use writer/director Anne Fontaine makes of it. Also, we see the clear-eyed and reluctant decision to become essentially Balsan’s mistress, and it doesn’t really lessen our opinion of Chanel. Finally, the romance with Boy Capel that makes up a large chunk of screen time is presented quite romantically, quite like a period drama, complete with the “We can’t get married” conversation and the tragic ending.

Aside from wonderfully blending the facts of Chanel’s life into cinematic material, Fontaine also leads a talented group of artisans to impressive work. The cast, of course, is exemplary. Tautou, certainly one of the most famous French actresses today, does the memory of the icon herself proud, while Nivola is all masculine stares and disarming smiles. It’s perfect for the character and don’t forget, he had to learn French for the role! The music of Alexandre Desplat is magnificent, making him one of the strongest film composers alive, and costume designer Catherine Leterrier has to be commended for pulling off not only period costumes but Chanel creations as well. Coco Before Chanel is a film that looks as gorgeous as the stylish woman who is it’s subject could wish, while the script, direction, and performances also captivate.

THE VIDEO

The format is widescreen here, no surprise, and it suits this grand story extremely well. Important for a film where the look of the central character is so well known, the picture is perfectly transferred, especially in color.

THE AUDIO

Obviously, the main language track for this film is French, so be warned if you have a problem with subtitles and don’t speak the language. The format is Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, of course, and it is the only language track on the disc. English is the only subtitle language available, as well.

THE EXTRAS

Walking the Red Carpet: From Los Angeles to New York: The American premieres of this film, in L.A. and New York, are shown in this brief featurette. The best bit is the introduction of the film by writer/director Fontaine and actors Tautou and Nivola in New York at the end of the featurette. Everyone speaks English in this one, albeit with accents.

Coco Before Chanel ‘La Rencontre’ (‘The Meeting’): This 18-minute extra is a set of interviews in French from the director and lead French actors of the film. They each discuss quite intelligently the characters they play, the relationships in the film, and Coco Chanel as a woman and icon. All in French, with subtitles, just like the film itself.

The Making of Coco Before Chanel: At 45 minutes long, this behind-the-scenes documentary is truly in-depth and features plenty of interviews and on-set footage. Fontaine describes the process of meeting with Audrey to gain her participation and then starting on the script. There are wonderful short glimpses into the production design and costume design processes, as well as a fascinating snippet showing how much visual effects were actually used in the film. This is the best extra here- watch it!

Audio Commentary with writer/director Anne Fontaine, producer Phillippe Carcassonne and editor Luc Barnier: Again, be warned up front that this track is in French with subtitles--yep, you have to read! It is interesting that the film was going to play out with the scenes of Chanel’s childhood at the orphanage used as flashbacks. The perils of shooting in December are discussed as well, when they reveal that Tautou knew she would get sick after a night shoot in the cold, so they shot it on the last day. There is consistently good information on this track.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As a depiction of the early life of one of the most iconic women of the 20th century, Coco Before Chanel fascinates, and it does the same as a film through it’s story and production vales. The acting and directing add even more to enthrall. This disc also provides plenty of incentive to buy with a group of successful extra features. Whether you are interested in fashion or you like period films or you are a fan of foreign cinema, Coco Before Chanel is entertaining viewing.