'Coco Before Chanel' Review

Audrey Tautou as Coco Chanel in the French film Coco Before Chanel, directed by Anne Fontaine. Watch the trailer: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/coco-before-chanel/37886/main?icid=movsmartsearch

>>After seeing Coco Before Chanel, I'll say it again: The French make the best costume films. Their actors do more than inhabit their period clothing and sets; they become living breathing characters who convince you that you're watching history in action. If you've seen Moliere or Indochine or The Return of Martin Guerre, you'll know what I mean. This is not to knock period films from other countries. Somehow the French have the edge in not only getting the details right, but making them come alive on the screen.

>> Coco Before Chanel covers the humble beginnings of fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971) who revolutionized women's clothing with her simplified and practical styles. The film begins with the young Chanel sisters Gabrielle and Adrienne sent to an orphanage by their father after the death of their mother. Here they learn to sew and later become mediocre cabaret singers in small towns. Garbielle is nicknamed Coco after a dog in a popular song. Their act is dissolved when Adrienne becomes involved with a baron and we soon see how the less talented Gabrielle is unsuccessful as a solo act. Coco latches on to a good-hearted and wealthy ex-military officer who reluctantly lets her stay at his country estate.. She becomes his lover but it's only a 'marriage of convenience' as she trades sex for material comfort. She becomes bored by his decadent lifestyle and is caustically critical of the currently fashionable overblown clothing worn by his guests. An actress gives her a chance to design clothes for her and encourages her to start her own business, something unheard of for a women in pre-WWI times. Into the picture arrives a handsome tycoon who captures Coco's heart and furnishes financial aid. Will she become successful in love as well as in business? That's what you will learn....

>>Coco is wonderfully portrayed by Audrey Tautou who most Americans know from The Da Vinci Code, not one of her best showcases. Tautou became famous in 2001's French romantic comedy Amelie which can be described a Gallic Ally MacBeal and was a huge international hit. (Watch Amelie's trailer: http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/244109/Amelie/trailers ) She's done other roles; check out my Blog entry for Priceless where she plays a modern gal looking for sugar daddies. Coco may seem mousy at times but she exudes cleverness and determination with her blunt approach when needed and usually gets things done her way. The rest of the cast , which is never overshadowed by her performance, offers fine support including Benoit Poelvoorde as the ex-officer and Alessandro Nivola as the tycoon. Nivola is every gal's dreamboat: charming, rich, well-educated, and good looking. He's too good to be true so you begin to doubt if he'll be around by the end of the film.....

>>There's subtitles but not a lot and the story is easy to follow in any language. If my 91 year-old mom could sit through this movie and enjoy it as much as us, then so can others. The visuals alone make it worthwhile.