Coco avant Chanel

Coco Before Chanel

(France/Belgium, 2008, 109 minutes)

The early days of celebrated fashion designer Coco Chanel, as, in the 1910s, she tries to escape her barren life as a provincial seamstress by becoming confidante to a Parisian nobleman. Not so much a biopic as an elegantly old-fashioned, subtly handled romantic melodrama, anchored by an outstanding star performance, wisely used production values and excellent acting all around.

A Warner Bros. Pictures release. Haut et Court, Cinéa and Warner Bros. Pictures present a Haut et Court/Cinéa/Warner Bros. Entertainment France/France 2 Cinéma production, with the participation of Canal Plus, Cinécinéma and France 2, in association with Films Distribution, Cofinova 5, Banque Populaire Images 9 and Scope Pictures. Starring Audrey Tautou; Benoît Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain; and Emmanuelle Devos. Directed by Anne Fontaine; produced by Caroline Benjo, Carole Scotta, Philippe Carcassonne, Simon Arnal; screenplay by Anne Fontaine and Camille Fontaine, with the collaboration of Christopher Hampton and Jacques Fieschi, based on the book by Edmonde Charles-Roux, L'irregulière ou mon itinéraire Chanel; music by Alexandre Desplat, director of photography (LTC, Duboicolor, Panavision), Christophe Beaucarne; production designer, Olivier Radot; costume designer, Catherine Leterrier; film editor, Luc Barnier.