Overview
A tale of ambition and love set against the backdrop of early 20th-century fashion.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- restrained
- elegant
- wistful
- quiet evening
- period drama night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an elegant and fascinating tribute elevated by its design and Audrey Tautou, while noting that it simplifies Chanel's life and can feel reserved or dull.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story concentrates on Gabrielle Chanel's years before her fashion empire, tracing the experiences that shape her identity and career.
Chanel's increasingly distinctive hats and clothing express her independence from conventional feminine and aristocratic styles.
The film places Coco's rise against French provincial and high-society life during the belle époque, when social codes were beginning to shift.
Balsan's patronage opens elite circles, but Coco's hat-making skill gradually establishes her own place within them.
Films like Coco Before Chanel, and why
Becoming Jane
female ambition, refined period drama, and the emergence of a creative identity within restrictive social structures
The Duchess
stylish european period romance centered on an ambitious woman navigating class and gender expectations
Frida
biographical drama about a pioneering woman whose talent develops within an elite social world
A Room with a View
restrained historical romance emphasizing costume, social status, and a woman's struggle for independence
Movie Details
- Director
- Anne Fontaine
- Release Date
- 2009-04-22
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (1055)
Cast
- Audrey Tautou
- Benoît Poelvoorde
- Alessandro Nivola
- Marie Gillain
- Emmanuelle Devos
- Régis Royer
- Étienne Bartholomeus
- Yan Duffas
- Fabien Béhar
- Roch Leibovici
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Coco Before Chanel about?
- An intimate French period biography follows Gabrielle Chanel from orphaned seamstress and cabaret singer to an audacious designer challenging the codes of elite society.
- What is Coco Before Chanel like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Coco Before Chanel as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Coco Before Chanel violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Coco Before Chanel.
- What did critics think of Coco Before Chanel?
- Critics generally found the film an elegant and fascinating tribute elevated by its design and Audrey Tautou, while noting that it simplifies Chanel's life and can feel reserved or dull.
- Which films are like Coco Before Chanel?
- Films with a similar feel include Becoming Jane, The Duchess, Frida, and A Room with a View.
- How long is Coco Before Chanel?
- Coco Before Chanel runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Coco Before Chanel?
- In United States, Coco Before Chanel is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
