Movie

Coco Before Chanel

2009 · 110 min

A quietly absorbing rise from poverty to influence, with flashes of romantic heartbreak and a restrained air of determination.

Tagline: Before she was France's famous mademoiselle…
Overview: Several years after leaving the orphanage, to which her father never returned for her, Gabrielle Chanel finds herself working in a provincial bar. She's both a seamstress for the performers and a singer, earning the nickname Coco from the song she sings nightly with her sister. A liaison with Baron Balsan gives her an entree into French society and a chance to develop her gift for designing.

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How it feels

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Tone: melancholicstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
romanticstrength 1 of 3
tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: identity
ambition
love
class
freedom
Places: countryside
big city
workplace
Era: period
Audience: adult
Form: true story
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence none
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	1
Horror	0
Humour	2
Realism	8
Romance	6
Tension	3
Darkness	5
Complexity	6
Emotional weight	7

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Where to watch in the UK

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Details

Genres: drama, history
Directed by: Anne Fontaine
Written by: Anne Fontaine, Camille Fontaine
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Benoît Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos, Régis Royer, Étienne Bartholomeus, Yan Duffas
Music: Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography: Christophe Beaucarne
Runtime: 110 min
Country: Belgium, France
Languages: French, English

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Coco Before Chanel

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