Written by Eric
October 16, 2009
Coco Before Chanel is, just as it sounds like, a rags-to-riches story. The interesting twist is how little we get to see of the “riches” part. But of course, we all know that part of the story already: how Coco Chanel’s designs revolutionized women’s fashions and ushered in a new age of comfort, elegance, and modern style.
Coco Before Chanel tells the lesser-known story of Gabrielle (Audrey Tautou), a poor tailor’s assistant who sings in a local bar for tips just to get by. Unlike her sister, Adrienne (Marie Gillain), who sings with her at the bar, Gabrielle has no patience for the idle flirtations of men, refusing to play such games at the expense of her pride. But this feisty attitude catches the attention of millionaire playboy Étienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde), who invites her to visit his mansion in the countryside just outside Paris.
Gabrielle initially refuses, but soon shows up at Balsan’s house, bluffing that she is only stopping by on her way to see her sister (who has accepted the proposal of a wealthy man living nearby). Balsan, of course, is infatuated with Gabrielle, and Poelvoorde plays him to pitiful perfection as he lavishes his riches upon her but can never buy her love. Of course, Gabrielle cares for him in a way, and it is with his resources that she begins to explore the groundbreaking designs that would yank women out of their corsets and into the 20th century.
Above everything else, this movie is visually DELICIOUS, featuring costumes that took my breath away even though I know almost nothing about fashion (let alone century-old fashion!). What is remarkable is that it almost seems like everyone onscreen knows that they are essentially billed second, after the exciting fashions on display in scene after scene. Don’t get me wrong, Audrey Tautou is certainly up to the challenge of playing such a legendary figure, but the clothes are the star of this show. How could they not be? When Gabrielle comes out wearing an outfit adapted from one of Balsan’s own suits, I found myself as shocked and excited as everyone else in the scene. It’s a magical moment that I felt the actors knew not to distract from.
To further complicate the romantic matters in the film, Gabrielle eventually falls in love with one of Balsan’s friends, Arthur “Boy” Capel (Alessandro Nivola), devastating him further and spurring young Gabrielle on to the next phase of her life: Paris, where she ultimately blossoms into one of the most successful and influential women of the 20th century.
I don’t know if there is such thing as a “spoiler” when we’re talking about a biopic, but I will tell you that the brief final sequence of the film – jumping forward to the height of Gabrielle’s career, now that she is known to the world as “Coco” – is breathtaking and powerful. Perhaps that is the movie’s greatest accomplishment: conveying the joy and the thrill of revolution in an industry I never even thought I cared about, by making me truly care about the woman behind it all.
