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Product Description
Lavish biopic recounting the life and work of legendary French fashion designer Coco Chanel, from her humble beginnings in an Auvergne orphanage in the late 1800s after being abandoned by her pedlar father. Audrey Tatou stars in the title role as Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, whose inspiration and determination eventually took her to the most elevated position in the male-dominated fashion industry.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: French ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast/Crew Interview(s), Commentary, Interactive Menu, Making Of, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: A little girl from central France, who is placed in an orphanage with her sister and waits in vain every Sunday for her father to come and collect them. A weak-voiced café singer, who faces an audience of tipsy soldiers. A young seamstress destined to repair hems in a provincial tailors back shop. A thin-bodied apprentice courtesan, who finds refuge at her protector Etienne Balsans abode, among the loose women and party revellers. A lover who knows she'll never be "someone's wife", not even for Boy Capel, the man who nonetheless loves her. A rebel who feels stifled by the conventions of her time and wears her lovers' shirts. This is the story of Coco Chanel, who embodied the modern woman before inventing her. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: European Film Awards, ...Coco Before Chanel ( Coco avant Chanel )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
69 of 72 people found the following review helpful
By Movie Buff
Format:DVD
I'm giving this a five to make up for all the imbeciles who have criticized a French film for being in French, and the other imbeciles who think it should have had more explosions in it. Actually, I thought it was a four.
I don't know how accurate the details of Coco Chanel's life are as shown, but it conveys the period beautifully. I think the French do historical films very well - partly because of their attention to detail, and partly because they concentrate on showing how things were rather than preaching or disapproving.
Audrey Tatou is in every scene and is rivetting. She plays Chanel as the relaistic and determined person she must have been. The other actors are good too, no wrong notes.
And it's stunningly photographed. Whether it's the inside of the convent, the ballroom in her lover's chateau, or the beach at Deauville, you can't take your eyes off it. For myself, I would have liked to know more about the fabrics and the clothes, but I realise I'm in a minority. I had expected to watch this film once and move on, but now I know I'll watch it again - well written, very well acted and beautifully photographed.
I don't know how accurate the details of Coco Chanel's life are as shown, but it conveys the period beautifully. I think the French do historical films very well - partly because of their attention to detail, and partly because they concentrate on showing how things were rather than preaching or disapproving.
Audrey Tatou is in every scene and is rivetting. She plays Chanel as the relaistic and determined person she must have been. The other actors are good too, no wrong notes.
And it's stunningly photographed. Whether it's the inside of the convent, the ballroom in her lover's chateau, or the beach at Deauville, you can't take your eyes off it. For myself, I would have liked to know more about the fabrics and the clothes, but I realise I'm in a minority. I had expected to watch this film once and move on, but now I know I'll watch it again - well written, very well acted and beautifully photographed.
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful
By luvstuff
Format:DVD
The Guardian stated in its review of Coco Before Chanel that it is dull. I have to disagree with that completely. This is elegant, refined, inspiring and as an added bonus it features the lovely Audrey Tautou.
Chanel as the subject matter of a film is interesting as when you look at the company's many high end products you realise that you know very little if anything about the woman whose name sits so proudly and smartly them. I loved the simplistic approach this movie took to Chanel's life and the novel idea of analysing her before her success. There are so many gross, hysterical films now that are almost pornographic and it is wonderful to come across a film that is controlled and tasteful.
The story begins with a heart breaking scene, Chanel and her sister abandoned by their father. The DVD extras reveal that not all the scenes should be taken at face value and that because Chanel used to exaggerate certain aspects of her life to convey and place emphasis on social problems, the script was written in the same manner. The plot is a journey of hope, expectation, disappointment, despair, love and achievement. The film is structured in such way that it is impossible to not feel anything but admiration for Chanel because of her courage and her intellect.
Character wise the film is aided by a strong supporting cast who all come across as believable. Boy in the film (Nivola) is the most intriguing character after Chanel. The right depth is given to Chanel's character. None of the segments of the film feel rushed and you always believe that Tautou is her.
I can only describe the script as beautiful. A thing of joy. It really is very pleasant.... Read more ›
Chanel as the subject matter of a film is interesting as when you look at the company's many high end products you realise that you know very little if anything about the woman whose name sits so proudly and smartly them. I loved the simplistic approach this movie took to Chanel's life and the novel idea of analysing her before her success. There are so many gross, hysterical films now that are almost pornographic and it is wonderful to come across a film that is controlled and tasteful.
The story begins with a heart breaking scene, Chanel and her sister abandoned by their father. The DVD extras reveal that not all the scenes should be taken at face value and that because Chanel used to exaggerate certain aspects of her life to convey and place emphasis on social problems, the script was written in the same manner. The plot is a journey of hope, expectation, disappointment, despair, love and achievement. The film is structured in such way that it is impossible to not feel anything but admiration for Chanel because of her courage and her intellect.
Character wise the film is aided by a strong supporting cast who all come across as believable. Boy in the film (Nivola) is the most intriguing character after Chanel. The right depth is given to Chanel's character. None of the segments of the film feel rushed and you always believe that Tautou is her.
I can only describe the script as beautiful. A thing of joy. It really is very pleasant.... Read more ›
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Andy Millward
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Speaking as a keen devotee both of French films and films without an extensive narrative to drive a plot (and trust me, I've seen plenty of those in my time!), you would expect me to enjoy Coco Before Chanel. In fact, I found the film somewhat shapeless and undramatic. Ravishing to look at, beautifully acted and correct in almost every detail, but with insufficient substance to fill the 2 hours allotted. I kept wanting something different to happen, but it never did.
The title is the giveaway: Coco before Chanel, indeed. Coco after Chanel is glossed over in the text epilogue displayed after the film has ended. Are we to assume Coco's life during these years of huge success so undramatic they did not warrant any screen time? Why not Coco Chanel's full life story? Compared to the La Vie En Rose, the entire film fails to deliver the goods, but I can't believe that is simply because less happened to Chanel than to Piaf.
Admittedly, the subject and her relative lack of emotional intensity does not help, portrayed with accuracy but no real charm by the excellent Tautou. A car crash betrays the only real feeling in the film. Seldom do we get inside the character to learn her inner drive. Surely there must have been more layers of the Chanel onion to peel? At any rate, the character and the film appear distant and uninvolving, which is a great shame.
The title is the giveaway: Coco before Chanel, indeed. Coco after Chanel is glossed over in the text epilogue displayed after the film has ended. Are we to assume Coco's life during these years of huge success so undramatic they did not warrant any screen time? Why not Coco Chanel's full life story? Compared to the La Vie En Rose, the entire film fails to deliver the goods, but I can't believe that is simply because less happened to Chanel than to Piaf.
Admittedly, the subject and her relative lack of emotional intensity does not help, portrayed with accuracy but no real charm by the excellent Tautou. A car crash betrays the only real feeling in the film. Seldom do we get inside the character to learn her inner drive. Surely there must have been more layers of the Chanel onion to peel? At any rate, the character and the film appear distant and uninvolving, which is a great shame.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Audrey Tatou portrays Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel before she became famous for the fashion house which still bears her name. Being a French film it's subtitled which made it all the more authentic and didn't bother myself and my husband at all unlike some other reviewers! It tells Coco's story from when she and her sister are abandoned by their father at a Catholic orphanage as children where she first learns her trade as a seamstress, their subsequent career as caberet artistes and the slow road to her eventually becoming a milliner and ultimately a coturier. In many ways it's fairly slow moving and languid but Tatou's beguiling performance and the stunning scenery more than compensate for that.
Coco's relationships with Etienne Balsan with whom she enjoys the taste of the high life and Arthur 'Boy' Capel are both senstively handled and it's interesting to see the juxtoposition of her sister's relationship with a Baron whom she remains a mistress of for many years. Of course, we should always remember that in France Mistresses enjoyed a certain amount of social status and probably more than their English counterparts.
Although the ending is somewhat rushed, this film remains a stand alone piece. I thought that Tatou's central performance was mesmerising and that she really 'became' Coco Chanel in the process.
Coco's relationships with Etienne Balsan with whom she enjoys the taste of the high life and Arthur 'Boy' Capel are both senstively handled and it's interesting to see the juxtoposition of her sister's relationship with a Baron whom she remains a mistress of for many years. Of course, we should always remember that in France Mistresses enjoyed a certain amount of social status and probably more than their English counterparts.
Although the ending is somewhat rushed, this film remains a stand alone piece. I thought that Tatou's central performance was mesmerising and that she really 'became' Coco Chanel in the process.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Daughter was pleased.
Bought this DVD for my daughter who was at the time at Uni. studying Fashion and Design. She had wanted it for ages. I bought it for her birthday, she was over the moon. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Wendy Shindler
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not subtitles
Didnt realise this had subtitles, I would never of purchased it, and have never watched it. sorry not your fault I obviously did not read the discription properly.
Published 1 month ago by Debbie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful movie, Tautou at her best.
A wonderful movie accounting for the life of Coco Chanel before she hit fame. This beautifully shot piece follows the incidents and "postcards" that contributed to Chanel's... Read more
Published 1 month ago by spacedog1979
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drama/Bio-pic
Great film. It is in French and sub-titled but this does not detract in any way; in fact I found it made me concentrate on the dialogue more. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Katherine Trelawny
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunningly Beautiful
I purchased this film with no great expectations! Mainly due to rather negative critiques. However ........... It was for me one of the finest films I have seen. Read more
Published 3 months ago by B. L. Harmer
4.0 out of 5 stars
funny
This film is very funny,girls would be keener to watch it than boys as it is about fashion, however I would recommend it to everyone, I like Audrey Tautou she's a good actress. Read more
Published 4 months ago by lapeste.fr
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reasonable.
I tend to go cor anything with Tautou in it.
She can send me into movie heaven no matter what she's in. Read more
She can send me into movie heaven no matter what she's in. Read more
Published 6 months ago by John D. Morgan
4.0 out of 5 stars
a film for fashionistas
It may be a subject that will not automatically appeal to many. However, this movie is certainly worth watching. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Angela O'Neill
4.0 out of 5 stars
Coco rings true
We got this out of genuine interest in Coco Chanel - my wife has a passionate interest in dressmaking and similar crafts - and out of admiration for Miss Tautou's ability to come... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Robert Watt
2.0 out of 5 stars
Don't do it
I was really excited to see this film but it failed my expectations in every way, not only was the story really dull but there wasn't even enough of that French style (which could... Read more
Published 12 months ago by FanOfThings
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