Based on the title of the film and because it contains both Coco and Chanel, people might think that the movie is for fashion lovers only. However, there is another word in the title, before. The movie is more of a story of a young women’s life in France at the turn of the century, something for many people to enjoy. The movie is more aimed towards women, as it deals with a woman trying to overcome male oppression through clothing and business.
Audrey Tautou (The Da Vinci Code) stars as Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Her quirky character is easy to relate to and her acting is incredibly believable. The rest of the cast had excellent portrayals of their characters as well, although they would most likely be new faces to American viewers. The only part of the movie that takes away from it is the English subtitles. It can make it hard to understand the way that things are said, but the actor’s actions along with the words are done very well. It is not difficult to understand a joke or sarcastic comment, even with the lack of inflection in the written English words.
While the movie isn’t entirely about fashion, the costumes greatly add to the entire film. The character of Coco prefers looser, male-style clothing, which greatly a contrast with the rest of the women’s corseted, elaborately decorated gowns. The clash of clothing not only enhanced Coco’s character, but also makes the audience lean towards her ideas of fashion and help the audience to understand why she began a clothing revolution.
Coco Avant Chanel gets 5 stars.
