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Amazon.co.uk Review
Lovers of fashion, Paris, and love will adore Coco Chanel, a stylish biopic about the legendary fashion designer whose incredible vision and style would go on to become one of the most influential of the 20th century. And while Coco (née Gabrielle) Chanel's focus on her work was undeniable, and expertly chronicled in Coco Chanel, so, too, are her passionate loves--giving the film its depth and humanity. Shirley MacLaine shines as the older Coco, looking back at her legacy from the middle of the century, with her longtime companion and No. 1 booster, Marc Bouchier (Malcolm McDowell), at her side. MacLaine is equal parts arrogant, dismissive, and steadfast in her objective--yet just vulnerable enough to let viewers see the real woman beneath the hard exterior of international success. The stunning cast includes the Czechoslovakian-born Barbora Bobulova as the young Coco--as gamine and winsome as the young Shirley MacLaine--a determined young woman willing to work hard in a man's field and stay true to her own vision. Fashion fans will love learning the story of Chanel's rise from her poor beginnings in an orphanage to her hardscrabble start as a seamstress in Paris, slowly making contacts (and charming dashing young gentlemen) and insinuating her idea of elegant chic into the minds of a populace hungry for it. Chanel's conception of a fashion empire included the then-revolutionary idea of incorporating other products, like perfume; the young Coco, in creating her signature scent, said when launching Chanel No. 5, "I am sure this will be my lucky number."--A.T. Hurley
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
My sister and I watched this movie on an Italian TV programme in 2009 and absolutely loved. My sister is a big fan of Coco Chanel and has got the 'Coco before Chanel' and 'Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky' movies but she likes this one the best. I couldn't take my eyes of the TV, it was so chatching.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
An excellent production telling the story of an exceptional woman. My wife has watched it several times and has bought it for/recommended it to most of her friends. A great tale of a strong willed woman who made good through difficult times.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Coco Chanel has become a pretty popular subject for biopics in the last few years, and the first of them was the TV movie "Coco Chanel," which traces the legendary designer's rise from poverty to worldwide fame. Unfortunately, this movie doesn't do her justice -- it focuses more on Chanel's love affairs than her life as a businesswoman, and painstakingly whitewashes her personality.
It opens in the post-WWII period, when Coco Chanel (Shirley MacLaine) is attempting to stage a comeback as a dress designer, which sets her to thinking about the past.
As a young girl (Barbora Bobulova) was abandoned by her father, raised by nuns, and plucked from a tiny tailor's shop by the wealthy playboy Etienne, who installed her in a country estate as his mistress. During her time in the countryside, she became acquainted with the English polo player Boy Capel, who encouraged her when she became making hats -- and funded a hat shop after she left Etienne.
Of course, she and Boy eventually ended up lovers, but their passionate affair was interrupted when World War I broke out. While Boy fought in the trenches, Coco expanded her business to include jersey clothes tailored for women's comfort -- which launched her into fame and fortune, but of course romantic problems ensued.
"Coco Chanel" was released by the Lifetime Channel, and it doesn't surprise me. We've got a woman succeeding despite some cliche sexism, rotten men who done her wrong, melodramatic tragedy, soppy sentimentality and lots of love-life stuff. In fact, "Chanel the designer" takes backseat to "Chanel the naive romantic with extreme daddy issues."
And it painstakingly whitewashes the seedier aspects of Chanel's life -- her life as a professional mistress is depicted as being purely based on LUVLUVLUV, and her involvement with the Nazis is completely ignored.
Christian Duguay does a decent job as a director when he simply sticks to telling a life story, such as showing Chanel's growing success as a designer and her increasingly hardened personality. But when he tries more dramatic tacks (the whole "tango" scene), it ends up being insanely cheesy. I ended up giggling through the entire "white scarf" scene after a fatal car accident, because it was so horrendously mawkish.
The acting (not to mention the French accents) are a mixed bag as well. Barbora Bobulova is excellent as the young Chanel -- she's chic, striking and a very good actress, and manages to make you feel for Chanel despite her painful naivete. And there are some good supporting work by Olivier Sitruk and Valentina Lodovini. Too bad MacLaine sleepwalks through her role as "old Chanel," which mostly involves fighting with Malcolm MacDowell and grinding out complaints in a gravelly monotone.
"Coco Chanel" spends more time on the designer's love life than her life as an individual, and whitewashes anything that isn't pretty. Bobulova is excellent as Chanel, and it's too bad she couldn't have played her in a better movie.
It opens in the post-WWII period, when Coco Chanel (Shirley MacLaine) is attempting to stage a comeback as a dress designer, which sets her to thinking about the past.
As a young girl (Barbora Bobulova) was abandoned by her father, raised by nuns, and plucked from a tiny tailor's shop by the wealthy playboy Etienne, who installed her in a country estate as his mistress. During her time in the countryside, she became acquainted with the English polo player Boy Capel, who encouraged her when she became making hats -- and funded a hat shop after she left Etienne.
Of course, she and Boy eventually ended up lovers, but their passionate affair was interrupted when World War I broke out. While Boy fought in the trenches, Coco expanded her business to include jersey clothes tailored for women's comfort -- which launched her into fame and fortune, but of course romantic problems ensued.
"Coco Chanel" was released by the Lifetime Channel, and it doesn't surprise me. We've got a woman succeeding despite some cliche sexism, rotten men who done her wrong, melodramatic tragedy, soppy sentimentality and lots of love-life stuff. In fact, "Chanel the designer" takes backseat to "Chanel the naive romantic with extreme daddy issues."
And it painstakingly whitewashes the seedier aspects of Chanel's life -- her life as a professional mistress is depicted as being purely based on LUVLUVLUV, and her involvement with the Nazis is completely ignored.
Christian Duguay does a decent job as a director when he simply sticks to telling a life story, such as showing Chanel's growing success as a designer and her increasingly hardened personality. But when he tries more dramatic tacks (the whole "tango" scene), it ends up being insanely cheesy. I ended up giggling through the entire "white scarf" scene after a fatal car accident, because it was so horrendously mawkish.
The acting (not to mention the French accents) are a mixed bag as well. Barbora Bobulova is excellent as the young Chanel -- she's chic, striking and a very good actress, and manages to make you feel for Chanel despite her painful naivete. And there are some good supporting work by Olivier Sitruk and Valentina Lodovini. Too bad MacLaine sleepwalks through her role as "old Chanel," which mostly involves fighting with Malcolm MacDowell and grinding out complaints in a gravelly monotone.
"Coco Chanel" spends more time on the designer's love life than her life as an individual, and whitewashes anything that isn't pretty. Bobulova is excellent as Chanel, and it's too bad she couldn't have played her in a better movie.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Well packaged
Very well packaged but did dent enjoy the film as much as I hoped I would over all very good just not my type of film
Published 3 months ago by Susan
Huge Coco Fan
I have only watched the first half of this DVD, love it huge fan of Chanel, read all the biographies etc, will catch up soon with all the Chanel DVD's, but Shirley McLain if... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mary Ann
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