Entertainment, Movie Reviews Tags:
Audrey Tautou,
Benoît Poelvoorde,
biopic,
Chanel,
Coco Avant Chanel,
Coco Before Chanel,
Coco Chanel,
Etienne Balsan,
French,
Marie Gillain,
movie review
At the end of the day, “Coco Avant Chanel” doesn’t do justice to one of the world’s most iconic fashion figures. It leaves you wanting to see more of the avant (before) and the après (after) of Chanel’s rise to fame.
As suggested by the title, the film focuses on Coco’s early years, before she hit it big in the global fashion scene. We first meet her as an orphaned girl, with no sight of the glamour and celebrity endorsements that are associated with today’s Chanel brand. The movie then fast-forwards to a twenty-something Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (played by “Amelie’s” Audrey Tautou) who’s involved in a French cabaret act with her sister (Marie Gillain). She dreams of becoming the next theatre starlet of Paris, but that dream slowly slips from her hands.
One older, wealthy man (Etienne Balsan played by Benoît Poelvoorde), promises to try and get her an audition and while she doesn’t make the cut, Gabrielle continues a brief fling with him. She comes off as opportunistic when she arrives at Etienne’s mansion unannounced and stays there as she decides what to do with her life.
READ MORE »
Emma Watson must have learned a thing or two from the “Harry Potter” set, because she has certainly worked some magic on the head honchos of Chanel.
According to the British paper “The Mail”, the 18-year-old will be the new face of the brand, replacing Keira Knightley, with a $6 million pay check.
A source told the paper that Watson was carefully chosen. “Emma has been slowly integrated into the Chanel brand. They have been dressing her for film premieres and parties over recent months to see if she is the right fit.”
“Once it became clear she is growing into a beautiful young woman and wears the Chanel brand so elegantly, they had to sign her up.”
Meet the new face of Chanel: Selma Blair. The 33-year-old actress will be photographed by Chanel?s chief designer, Karl Lagerfeld, for a series of print ads for the label?s sunglass collection, according to ananova.com
Blair is already a fan of the couture designer, and she may have been a natural choice. In January 2004, she married Ahmet Zappa, the son of Frank Zappa. Lagerfeld designed her wedding dress.
Blair said that she feels comfortable being photographed by Lagerfeld. ?With Karl, he’s capturing something that’s more – my personal flaws, the way I am as a girl, not a model,” she said, according to ananova.
Blair is known for her movie roles in Legally Blond, Cruel Intentions and The Sweetest Thing. Her newest project is Purple Violets, also starring Ed Burns and Debra Messing.
The couture ads starring the brunette will be displayed next year.
