COCO AVANT CHANEL (COCO BEFORE CHANEL)
France, 2009, 105 minutes, Colour.
Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuel Devos.
Directed by Anne Fontaine.
A recent surge in interest in Gabrielle Chanel (who died in 1971), better known by her nickname Coco Chanel. There is another French film, set in the same period as this film but moving the story along to the production of her perfume, No 5, the speculative 'Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky' (which was the closing film of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival). There is also a telemovie with Shirley MacLaine?, obviously moving towards Coco Chanel's more mature years (the cast list referring to her as 'Old Coco Chanel' with Slovak actress, Barbora Bobulova as 'Young Coco Chanel').
This film has the great advantage of having the diminutive Audrey Tautou, well-known in France but who is known internationally for Amelie, Dirty Pretty Things and The Da Vinci Code. She can look like a bewildered waif. But she can also show determination and strong will.
While Coco Before Chanel has great potential for an interesting story because of her rather courtesan-like early life before World War I (think Stephen Frear's move lavish Cheri), of her moving into the world of fashion and her ultimately confident entry into the world of 20th century business, a pioneer for women's presence in this past male-dominated area.
However, while this is all present and Audrey Tautou is convincing, the film seems more pretty than profound, more picturesque rather than tough. Symptomatic of this is that much of the action takes place between 1914 and 1918 – and there is only one mention of the war and that is made by the two principal male characters and it refers to making money out of the action which they hope will happen. Paris in this period looks like the usual Gay Paree.
Coco was prone to re-interpret her life story with creative invention. This film briefly shows her sister, Adrienne (Marie Gillain), and herself as orphans at an 1893 boarding school. Then there is their adult work sewing during the day but singing in a tavern in the evening. It is there that Coco meets M. Balsan (Benoit Poelvoorde), a military roue who repels her. However, because of his contacts with entrepreneurs in Paris, she moves into his chateau while he accepts her presence tolerantly. She feels a servant but begins to assert herself amongst his pleasure-seeking guests. She becomes friends with an actress, Emilienne (Emmanuelle Devos) and provides her with hats and dresses. This lead to her setting herself up in millinery and dress-making. She also meets the wealthy Englishman, Boy Capel (Allessandro Nivola) and falls in love with him.
So, the ingredients are a blend of fairytale good fortune after poverty and the forming and achieving ambitions – with the film culminating in a lavish fashion show of Coco's creations. The film has a female perspective with co-writer and director, Anne Fontaine (writing with her sister, Camille Fontaine), and, with its themes of romance and dresses and hats, rather feminine.
1.Audience knowledge of Coco Chanel? As a significant 20th century figure? French, fashion, an icon?
2.The film as a sketch, the biopic aspects, ordinary or different? How? From 1893 to 1920? A selection of events? Coco Chanel as young, her formative years? Information about her life afterwards? A strong woman – yet a sanitised version of her life? The musical score?
3.The 1890s, the visuals of the school, the building, interiors, the dormitories? The nuns, sternness? Visitors, Coco not having a visitor – seeing her father drop Adrienne and herself off, his never coming back? Her relationship with her sister? The influence of this experience on her life?
4.With Adrienne, the sewing job, her skill? By day, at night at the bar, the customers, Adrienne and herself singing, the Coco song? The clientele, wanting pickups? Adrienne and the baron, in love, the engagement? Balsan and his manner, rough, flirtatious? Coco’s reaction? Disdain? His having connections, her decision to use them, going to Paris, the failure in the audition for singing, his promising other opportunities? Her playing up to Balsan?
5.Her living the equivalent of a courtesan life? A cultured woman, relationships with men, wealth, the salons, companionship?
6.Her work, her dressmaking and alterations, hats, the clients? Balsan getting clients for her?
7.Her moving in, his reaction, the equivalent of a maid, the room? Her determination to ride the horses? Lying about her life? Her being treated as a second-class citizen? The range of visitors, their styles, wealth, the salons? Her intruding? Flirting? Accepted? Her being upset with Balsan, leaving, facing the reality of her future, returning?
8.The character of Arthur Kappel, his nickname of Boy? French background, English background, money, his noticing Coco, the friendship, the interactions on the surface? Her falling in love?
9.Amelienne, her relationship with Balsan, the friendship with Coco? Relying on her for the dresses, their gossip together? The design of the hats? Coco in the theatre, helping her with her clothes? Amelienne and her advice?
10.Boy and his visits, his wealth, the attraction towards Coco, the difference and accepting them, the growing relationship, Coco leaving Balsan, happy with Boy, the visit to the ocean? The car? His crash?
11.The war, barely mentioned in the film – except for the discussion about exploitation?
12.The years passing, Coco going into business, Boy and the money, the loan, her sense of business, the hats, the shop, influencing fashion style, simplicity, the black dress for the dance sequence?
13.Boy and his hopes, the crash, Coco visiting the site?
14.Balsan, the typical protector, the army background, family, wealth, friends, entertaining?
15.The effect of these early years on Chanel’s life, the creation of the perfume, the fashion empire, her influence on style, the relationships, her not marrying? Her living to old age?
16.The impact of the fashion show at the climax, her creations, her sitting amongst them?
