Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

'Coco Before Chanel' comes off as fashion without flourish

By Gary Wolcott, atomictown.com

Fashion and Chanel are synonymous.

Say one and the other is an automatic response. Modern folk know all about Chanel products and that most famous perfume — Chanel No. 5.

Few of us know much about the famous designer.

-- Local show times, theaters.

Coco Before Chanel puts a showbiz spin on the famed fashion icon’s early life from a childhood spent in an orphanage to the edge of Parisian and worldwide fame. Audrey Tautou (Amelie) stars and portrays Coco as a determined gold digger. Coco moves in with a French jet set millionaire.

She dazzles his friends with her independence and her male-oriented fashion daring-do. And no one did better hats than Coco. It’s the hats and — uh — “other skills” that launched her career.

Coco was a 1920s and 1930s version of Paris Hilton. Only with talent.

Tautou’s intense, dark, hypnotic eyes and single-minded persona drive a long and -- ultimately -- not all that interesting story. But fashion flicks aren’t my thing. Beefed-up biopics about historical figures aren’t either.

Outside of one or two shown by the Battelle Film Club every year, the Tri-Cities doesn’t see too many French films. Fans should gobble this up while you can. It won’t be here long.

Mr. Movie rating: 3 1/2 stars

Rated PG-13 for mature themes. It opens Friday, Nov. 20 at the Carmike 12.

5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.