MOVIE REVIEW ON COCO AVANT CHANEL

BY ADITI CHAKRABORTY(1) DFT-3

COCO CHANEL

Fashion designer. Born on August 19, 1883, in Saumur, France. With her trademark suits and little black dresses, Coco Chanel created timeless designs that are still popular today. She herself became a much revered style icon known for her simple yet sophisticated outfits paired with great accessories, such as several strands of pearls. As Chanel once said, luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury. Her early years, however, were anything but glamorous. After her mothers death, Chanel was put in an orphanage by her father who worked as a peddler. She was raised by nuns who taught her how to sewa skill that would lead to her lifes work. Her nickname came from another occupation entirely. During her brief career as a singer, Chanel performed in clubs in Vichy and Moulins where she was called Coco. Some say that the name comes from one of the songs she used to sing,

In the 1920s, Chanel took her thriving business to new heights. She launched her first perfume, Chanel No. 5, which was the first to feature a designers name. Perfume is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion. . . . that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure, Chanel once explained. In 1925, she introduced the now legendary Chanel suit with collarless jacket and well-fitted skirt. Her designs were revolutionary for the timeborrowing elements of mens wear and emphasizing comfort over the constraints of thenpopular fashions. She helped women say good-bye to the days of corsets and other confining garments.

COCO CHANEL

AUDREY TAUTOU

CAST

AUDREY TAUTOU as COCO CHANEL BENOIT POELVOORDE as ETIENNE BALSAN- The man she gets involved with who helps her to meet new high society people and likes her a lot. ALESSANDRO NIVOLA as ARTHUR CAPEL- The man she falls in life with but loses him to an unfortunate accident. MARIE GILLAIN as ADRIENNE CHANEL- Her sister both of whom his father had abandoned and start making a living together. EMMANUEL DEVOS as EMILIENNE D ALENCON- The woman who inspires her to make hats and then later create a dress collection.

PLOT

Based on the real life incidences of Coco Chanel this movie has been created. It shows that at the age of 10 her father abandoned her and her sister in an orphanage. As they grew up they started singing in bars to earn money. This was the time when she learn sewing as she worked as seamstress to the higher society people. She developed most of her skill at this time. Later she meets Etienne Balsan who seems to like her and both of them get involved. It is this liason which helps her to meet high society contacts who help her propel into the fashion industry. Through Balsan she meets Arthur Capel . She falls madly in love with him. Her childhood experiences had made her bitter towards men but this was the man she loved.

She was transformed, earlier she dressed like men now she dressed herself in feminine gowns and was very happy. It was during this period that Coco meets Emilienne who inspires her to make hats for her. This was the beginning of a new era. A tragic event occurs where Arthur Capel dies in an automobile accident. She is shattered but she carries on her work in memory of Arthur. She creates beatiful dresses in her collection but we see she is not happy. It is obvious no amount of happiness can bring the man she had loved!

FASHION REVIEW

As this movie is name Coco Avant (before) Chanel , we see Chanel dressing up like males. She used wear tweed jackets trousers and shirts. She did bother about a slender figure unlike other women who did their best to look thin by wearing extremely tight corsets. They did not have even breathing space such was their misery. Whereas she was always dressed casually and comfortably. The men Etiennne and Arthur are very impeccably dressed always and Emilienne too wearing beautiful robes and hats. As she falls in love with Arthur we see a difference in her dressing , she starts dressing in a feminine manner in lace gowns ,party gowns. The gowns that we see for her collection are beautiful and breathtaking, then we see a glimpse of what Chanel is actually famous for.

Before in an ugly tweed suit

After in a beatiful cocktail gown

We can see how beautiful and poised she grew as she started working on her collection.

MOVIE REVIEW

The movie has been very unsentimental in its approach of showing Coco Chanel. Her flaws and and positive aspects both have been highlighted very well. I like the way the charcater of Chanel has been portrayed as she has spent a very bitter childhood deprived of her parents love specially her fathers which makes her insensitive towards men till the time she meets Arthur Capel. The movie could be rated a 4 on 5. because of excellent portrayal by Audrey tatou and Alessandro Nivola.All the details have taken into consideration, especially the dresses and the background.

RATING

I have personally liked the movie a lot so I would rate this movie a 4 on 5 for the brilliant performances by Audrey Tautou and Alessandro Nivola. It is very heartwarming movie of how the innocent girl Gabrielle Chanel became Coco Chanel. The circumstances and the people who lead her into the field of fashion only to become one of the biggest Fashion Houses of the world

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