The other weekend, I finally got round to watching Anne Fontaine's 'Coco Before Chanel' on DVD. Detailing Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel's rise from humble roots to a revolutionary of twentieth century fashion, the film is beautifully shot, with Christophe Beaucarne's cinematography effortlessly bringing the location and period into vivid life. Catherine Leterrier's costumes also lend the piece a real authenticity; the clothes which Chanel wears as she begins to experiment with fashion feel both classic and contemporary, standing as testament to her influence on modern design and her assertion that 'fashion fades, only style remains the same'. Audrey Tautou brings strength and a luminous beauty to the role of Chanel, and perfectly encapsulates her determination and passion. Although the film centres on her often stormy and ultimately tragic relationships with Étienne Balsan and Arthur Capel, we come to understand that the hardships which she endures only galvanise her further, motivating her to achieve the remarkable successes which marked her lengthy career and enabling her to establish a lasting legacy, both in terms of women's attitudes towards dressing and through her establishment of the iconic fashion house which still bears her name. Cinematic escapism at its best.
Have you seen the film? What did you think of it?
(Image credit: vogue.co.uk.)
