The tale of the woman who turned the fashion world on its head, advocating elegance and simplicity, is aptly brought to the big screen in a whirlwind of brooding style in Anne Fontaine's \"Coco Before Chanel\".The embodiment of French femininity, Audrey Tautou, takes on the lead role of ballsy designer Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel and holds together this biopic beautifully, tracing Chanel's life from her childhood in a Catholic orphanage through to her breakthrough as an innovative hat designer in Paris. The adult Coco is introduced in a pre-First World War France as one half of a singing duo at a small town cabaret at night, while working as a seamstress by day. In her pursuit of fame and fortune, she meets playboy heir Etienne Balsan (Benoit Poelvoorde) and then swiftly moves into his country estate as his casual courtesan. It is amidst the beauty of Balsan's estate and the lavishness of his guests' outfits that Coco hones her own sleek style, which contrasted with the overdone frilliness of contemporary French women's fashion. However, that is not all Coco learns: she is also taught a lesson in love when she falls head over heels for Balsan's business acquaintance, British industrialist Arthur 'Boy' Capel (Alessandro Nivola). This heady, but ultimately doomed romance gives the budding designer the impetus to launch her own career.Tautou's sumptuous performance as the enigmatic Coco Chanel is alone enough to make this film a pleasure to watch. Tautou, introduced to the world in \"Amelie\", plays the fashion icon with confidence, treading a fine line between aloofness and fragility, masked in an ironclad self-belief. Although the love story with Capel is less absorbing than the rest of the film, it adds another dimension to the protagonist's story, and gives more emotional depth to her character. Special mention must also go to Benoit Poelvoorde's performance as the debauched Balsan, whose scenes with Tautou bring out the best in both actors. It may not be a must-see, but \"Coco Before Chanel\" is a lovingly crafted blend of substance and style.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>","fnc":"googleTrackerHelper.doTrackPage( '\/'Coco-Before-Chanel-film_options~19235'\/Reviews\/ViewAll\/1' );"}