COCO BEFORE CHANEL (Anne Fontaine, Warner Bros., 2009)

One of the best things about contemporary film is that with the blossoming of the digital age and the ongoing ubiquity of film, film subjects have become as wide and varied as they ever have been. Viewing a film now gives you insight to subjects never before imagined, and with the explosion of availability of information one can easily learn so much more about the subject of a film. One recent such foray for me was to watch COCO BEFORE CHANEL (Anne Fontaine, Warner Bros., 2009). The Chanel name is ubiquitous in our society, really try to find someone that has never heard the name. So when the film was recommended to me I figured I'd give it a shot. And what I come away from this film with is a portrait of an amazingly strong woman, one that overcame so many obstacles yet persevered. An inspiration no doubt, but in a time with few good role models, one that should be held in much higher regard.

Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel (Audrey Tautou) had the world against her. Abandoned to an orphanage at an early age, by young adulthood she is scratching out an existence in a world beneath respectable layers of society. It is a world that is not destined for someone of Chanel's social status to succeed in, and the fact she is a woman makes the odds even longer for her. Yet Tautou infuses the role (and character of Chanel) with strength and determination and an unyielding disdain for the excess and frivolity of her time. Often we forget that which our predecessors overcame in order that our lives should be bettered. Woman in general owe a debt to people such as Chanel. At the very least, some knowledge of her is necessary.

It is this knowledge of her world and the portrait the film creates that fascinates me. Chanel's views on marriage, disdainful at best, denied after the loss of her lover Boy Capel (Alessandro Nivola - a great role for him, he has that sly smile DOWN) are eye-opening when compared to many contemporary women and their view to marriage. The changes to social conventions, primarily in the expectations of females is also rather striking. When Chanel wanted to start her business, both Boy and Baron Balsan (Benoit Poelvoorde) offer to finance her, but merely with the intent to amuse her, never thinking once that anything substantial could come of such endeavors. And here is the question that hits me the most as I think about this subject. Have things changed tremendously, or have they really not? Appearances say so, but a deeper examination would definitely change the color of your perception.

This is a fascinating film, filled with beautiful costume design and overall art direction and production design. The performances are really good, with Audrey Tautou just capturing the essence of such a great feminine role model. Please, if you have a daughter, have her watch a film like this, to see what she is capable of not only becoming but capable of OVERcoming.