Video review: "Coco Before Chanel"

Coco Chanel had as much impact on society as any woman of the 20th century. Her clothing designs were revolutionary, centered on the notions of simplicity and realism. Constricting corsets, huge flower hats and trails of lace and poofery all died off in the wake of her clean, elegant vision.

The movie about her life before becoming famous, "Coco Before Chanel," similarly opts for simplicity, smoothing out any inconvenient ruffles in the icon's history. The result is a film that seems magnetically repulsed by emotionality.

French screen queen Audrey Tautou strikes quite an imposing figure as Chanel, with her dark eyes and penetrating stare as she observes -- and dismisses -- the early 20th century fashions of her day.

The story concentrates mostly on Chanel's two major romances, with French aristocrat playboy Etienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde) and English businessman Arthur "Boy" Capel (Alessandro Nivola).

Each in their own way, her lovers try to control her, or at least channel her talents in ways that suited them. But Coco repeatedly casts off any attempts to bind her in chains -- lovely and golden though they may be.

Extras are identical for both DVD and Blu-ray versions.

There's a 45-minute making-of documentary, featuring a lot of solo interviews with principal cast and crew. I have to say that the French take themselves much more seriously than do American filmmakers, and their ramblings about the importance of this or the significance of that quickly grows pedantic to these ears.

The exception is Poelvoorde, who's funny and engaging. Talking about what he did to prepare for his role, he casually dismisses Method acting. "I don't believe in this Actors Studio stuff. It's for people who have nothing to do," he says.

There is also an 18-minute featurette focusing on Chanel's young life, and 8 minutes of footage from the New York and Los Angeles premieres.

A commentary track by director/co-writer Anne Fontaine, producer Philippe Carcassonne and editor Luc Barnier is pretty slow-going stuff.

Lighten up, Frenchies!

Movie: 2.5 stars
Extras: 2.5 stars

Review: "Coco Before Chanel"

"Coco Before Chanel" has some nice elements in its depiction of the early life of fashion icon Coco Chanel. But like a strange bit of slapdash couture, they never fit together in an appealing way.

Audrey Tautou plays Gabrielle Chanel, who came from humble roots -- abandoned with her sister to an orphanage by an indifferent father after their mother died -- to build a business empire that still reigns, while ushering in a sea change in the way women clothed themselves.

Before Chanel -- nicknamed "Coco" as a child -- upper-crust women of early 20th century France were still squeezed into corsets, with spilling bodices, long trains and elaborate hats that resembled (in Coco's biting words) meringue pies.

Her emphasis on elegant simplicity and clothes that actually fit the body that occupied them rather than the other way around was revolutionary. Her tendency to borrow from men's fashions prompted early critics to dub her styles "mannish," and spark speculation about Chanel's sexuality that still persist.

Director Anne Fontaine, who co-wrote the script with sister Camille based on the book by Edmonde Charles-Roux, ducks this essential question in her film. Although she is never shown having romantic feelings toward another woman, Coco answers a question about whether she prefers men or women with the terse reply, "Skin is skin."

The story mainly centers on her relationship with two wealthy men who were both lovers and backers of her business ventures: French aristocrat Etienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde) and English businessman Arthur "Boy" Capel (Alessandro Nivola).

While working as a seamstress and performing a song-and-dance routine with her sister (Marie Gillain) in a nightclub, Coco meets Balsan and begins an affair that spurs her to go to live with him, uninvited. At first Balsan exploits the situation, using his interloping lodger for his entertainment, both social and sexual.

But eventually the tides turn, and he finds he needs Coco more than she does he. This gradual shift in power is the most interesting thing about the movie, and the scenes between Tautou and Poelvoorde have a lovely melancholy tone.

The affair with Capel, although outwardly conforming to a classic cinematic romance, is curiously devoid of much real passion.

It almost seems like Fontaine endeavors to keep the film on a smooth emotional keel, as does Tautou's performance. Whenever the movie seems ready to open up into a grand moment or emotion, the film pulls back.

Spareness may work in fashion, but "Coco Before Chanel" could have stood a little more ostentatiousness in its moods.

2.5 stars