Who Plays Who?

Audrey Tautou Benoît Poelvoorde Alessandro Nivola Marie Gillain Emmanuelle Devos Régis Royer Etienne Bartholomeus Yan Duffas Fabien Béhar Roch Leibovici Jean-Yves Chatelais Pierre Diot Vincent Nemeth Bruno Abraham-Kremer Lisa Cohen

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Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel Étienne Balsan Arthur 'Boy' Capel Adrienne Chanel Emilienne d'Alençon Alec, le jockey Maître d'hôtel Balsan Maurice de Nexon Patron boutique Jean, le palefrenier Directeur beuglant Acteur théâtre Gros homme théâtre Tailleur Deauville Gabrielle Chanel (10yo)

The Inside Story Director Anne Fontaine ("Nathalie") has long been fascinated by the figure of Coco Chanel. "It was not so much the fashion as the characteristics of this exceptional woman that interested me," says Fontaine. "I had been particularly touched by the fact that she was a self-made person. This girl, coming from the heart of the French countryside, poor, uneducated, but endowed with an exceptional personality, was destined to be ahead of her time." Years after her imagination was first sparked, the opportunity to make a film about the legendary woman presented itself. "I had to think whether it was possible to stick to the first period of her life: the training years, what had happened before Chanel, herself, understood her dazzling destiny," the director explained. "So, I went back and read her biography by Edmonde Charles-Roux, 'Chanel and Her World: Friends, Fashion, and Fame'. The other imperative condition was to find an actress to embody such a character, and not someone who would ape or make a pale imitation of Chanel." Fontaine found Chanel personified in 2000 César winner Audrey Tautou ("Vénus beauté (institut)"). "On my first encounter with Audrey, I was struck by her will, her audacity, and the density of her gaze that goes through you," 1997 Venice Film Festival Fontaine Golden Osella Award recalls. "Chanel looked at everything. Her culture was not one of knowledge, but a culture of observation. I had not yet written a single line of the screenplay when I met Audrey, but I knew that if she gave me her trust and if the production agreed to stick to the years of apprenticeship, I could then embark on the adventure of my first period movie." Tautou ("A Very Long Engagement") was likewise fascinated by Chanel, and though the prospect of the role had long been hovering around her, she was captivated by Fontaine’s vision. "I was secretly hoping to get an offer with a particular point of view because the modernity of this character: her spirit, and the position she gave women, fascinates me," says Tautou. "In addition, when Anne Fontaine explained how she intended to treat the subject, I immediately agreed." "Anne has allowed me to develop the nature of Chanel by searching different aspects of this role, by shading the emotions, being fragile and sweet and, at the same time, commanding and proud," the actress continued. "The fact that a woman directs this movie is already a great advantage to express how difficult it was to be of 'the weaker sex' at that time. The intelligence of Anne Fontaine, her finesse, her global vision of the character and the story have been of utmost importance in her direction of the film." To successfully complete this ambitious project and faithfully portray Coco Chanel's formative years, Fontaine was determined to assemble accomplished and acclaimed creative department heads. "It was the first time I was doing a period movie, so I wanted to work with technicians who were experienced in their respective fields," she says. Fontaine worked at length beforehand with her key crew members and proposed a survey of various great films from the time period in which the story is set. "Some are still classics, others were made by talented directors but are now considered old fashioned," says Fontaine, adding, "The historical film is a very tricky genre because it is easy to fall into the trap of flirting with the conventions of a TV movie. From the outset, we had to take a hard-line attitude against the weighty, picturesque drawbacks of the period film." Fontaine brought onboard the production designer who was responsible for the sets in "The Lover", "Queen Margot", "Lucie Aubrac" and, "Gabrielle" (which won the French César Award 2006), 2006 César Award winner Olivier Radot. "From our very first meeting, Olivier Radot appealed to me with his corrosive vision for the design of the sets," she said. "I immediately felt we would be esthetically in agreement." Radot studied the life of Coco Chanel at length. "You must be careful to always focus more on the subject than on the period, and dedicate the world you create to the story, the sentiments and the director's viewpoint," says Radot. "That's what gives a film substance. Instead of just copying the archives, I prefer to interpret, transpose, and feel free to keep the essence, the sensation. In any case, very few documents show Chanel during her years of apprenticeship. What I found most interesting in the end was to trace back to the source to find what had influenced her creation. We paid particularl attention to the sets for the orphanage and Aubazine at the beginning of the film, emphasizing the graphic, black and white aspect. The Aubazine uniform, with its black skirts and white blouses, also influenced her style. This starkness resurfaces at the end when Coco Chanel watches a triumphant fashion parade from the steps of the Maison Chanel." Fontaine wanted the initial sets: the orphanage where she grows up, the cabaret in Moulins where she and her sister perform: framed in tight shots to create a sense of oppression. Then, liberty is made manifest when Coco arrives at Etienne Balsan’s château at Royallieu, which is a complete contrast to the severity of Aubazine. "We visited dozens of chateaux but eventually chose the first place we had seen!" Radot recalls. "Some were too ornate, others too pompous. We eventually chose the 18th century château of Millemont in the Yvelines, as its white exterior with its chic simplicity could have inspired Coco. It was in these surroundings of Balsan's that she discovered the world." The other concern the filmmaker shared with her production designer was finding locations that would enable them to shoot the film entirely in France. "Chanel embodies French elegance," says Radot. "Her character is so Parisian that it would have been a shame not to shoot in France." Fontaine and Radot also collaborated on finding creative ways to bring naturalism to the atmosphere depicted in the film. "One of Anne’s qualities is to reject resorting to futile conventions," Radot explained. "For the more spectacular scenes with a lot of extras, she prefers natural, true conditions to ultra-wide frames where considerable means are splashed over the screen for maximum effect. There is greater sensitivity when you feel some things are going on outside the frame." To create the critically important costumes for the period of Chanel’s life depicted in the film, Fontaine turned to 2000 and 2004 César Award winner Catherine Leterrier ("The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" 1999 & "Bon voyage" 2003), who demonstrated her talent working with Fontaine herself on her previous film, "The Girl From Monaco" (La Fille de Monaco). "The aim was not to make a movie about the history of fashion," Leterrier says. "We occasionally had to take liberties with time. To fit in with the storyline, the famous striped mariner's sweater worn by Chanel in the legendary photos of the 1930s appears earlier in the movie, in the scene where Coco is walking along the beach with Boy and notices the sweaters of the fishermen as they pull in their nets. The costumes designed for the film had to be up to the exacting standards of Haute Couture." To shoot the film, Fontaine enlisted Christophe Beaucarne ("La gloire de mon père", "L'interview" & "De l'amour") who she described as, director of photography who will rise to any challenge. He has an amazing combination of intelligence and humor." The moviemaker and her DOP decided to shoot with two cameras to keep up the rhythm and pace and give the scenes a certain modernity. "The idea was to always accompany Chanel in her evolution and follow her inner adventure, her love story. The film is almost always shot from her viewpoint, except for two or three sequences linked to her feelings," says Beaucarne. He also relished reinterpreting Cecil Beaton's iconic photos of Chanel, "such as Chanel in her workshop, for example." Beaucarne confesses he was inspired by the extremely photogenic quality of Audrey Tautou. "I played on the contrast between the lightness of her skin and the darkness of her eyes and hair. Her eyes steal the show." The final element (the music) fell to composer Alexandre Desplat ("Girl with a Pearl Earring", "The Queen" & "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), who has written the soundtrack to more than sixty films. His inspired soundtrack for "The Beat That My Heart Skipped" won the 2006 César Best Music award in France and the 2005 Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Like the physical aspects of the production, Fontaine and Desplat collaborated to reflect Chanel herself in the music. "I think Coco Chanel had a pair of eyes that were very particular in real life, and so does Audrey Tautou," Desplat offered. "They both have the same gravity and intensity. She is not just watching. She’s scrutinizing and really intensively watching. She’s grabbing a detail, a colour, a shape that become something of her own once it goes through her filter. So, I guess that’s the main thing that I tried to do with the score: always keep the intensity of her character, not just the fun." And what was Audrey Tautou's reaction when Fontaine suggested she portray the famous Mademoiselle of the rue Cambon? "I was secretly hoping to get an offer with a particular point of view because the modernity of this character fascinates me, her spirit, and the position she gave women. In addition, when Anne Fontaine explained how she intended to treat the subject, I immediately agreed. Anne precisely wanted to avoid clichés and a mimetic interpretation. She had not yet written the screenplay, but she was already determined to concern herself solely with the training years, and it seemed to me that the period when Coco was building herself and asserting her personality is the most interesting in her life." Did she have any apprehension at all about playing a character that had really existed? "I wanted to give my own interpretation of this character, keeping in mind that the spectator had to recognise in it the mythical image of Chanel. Even if likeness on screen is very productive, the hardest thing was to avoid being satisfied with a mimetic performance, and to try to express her true nature." So how did Tautou imagine 'Coco'? "The problem is that it is impossible to imagine her precisely as Chanel always disguised the reality. In preparing myself for the part, I read Paul Morand, then the biography by Edmonde Charles-Roux, "L’Irrégulière; the portrait by Colette"; and of course, all the biographies Chanel had validated. I did notice that she misguided people, maybe out of modesty, a characteristic of rural people. Anyway, it takes some cunning to know who Chanel really was! So, I decided to look only at the photographs and give free rein to my imagination. I also wanted to convey the sharp gaze she had, from the start." Synopsis

A little girl who is sent with her sister to an orphanage in the heart of France, who waits in vain every Sunday for her father to come for her. A cabaret performer with a weak voice who sings to an audience of drunken soldiers. A humble seamstress, who stitches hems at the back of a provincial tailor's shop. A young, skinny courtesan, to whom protector Etienne Balsan offers a safe haven. A woman in love who knows she will never be anyone’s wife, refusing marriage even to Boy Capel, the man who returned her love. A rebel who finds the conventions of her time oppressive, and instead dresses in her lovers' clothes. This is the story of Gabrielle Chanel, who begins her life as a headstrong orphan, and through an extraordinary journey becomes the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman and became a timeless symbol of success, freedom and style. Coco before she became Chanel.

What Do The Critics Say

"Tautou's perf is one of her finest to date, revealing her character's headstrong personality through smart delivery and a permanent but attractive pout." Jordan Mintzer VARIETY "Playing Coco’s orphaned beginnings like a violin, writer/director Anne Fontaine shows a sure hand when it comes to emotional button-pushing." Carmen Grey TOTAL FILM "Tautou is just terrific, and to recall an actress who could so dominate your memory of a movie, one needs to think back to Audrey Hepburn." David Gritten DAILY TELEGRAPH "Anne Fontaine's film looks ravishing and eases under the skin of Chanel at a formative period." Richard Mowe BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE "Much is said, but we feel little. It is the imagery that wafts into our senses like the alluring No 5. I can still see her in my mind's eye, wearing chic white pyjamas, cigarette dangling from her lips as she puts the finishing touches to her latest hat." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "Engaging, beautifully shot biopic with a great central performance from Audrey Tautou, though the script deliberately leaves out some of the less palatable details." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON "Sweetly scented with beautiful images and a Coco most of us would have known little about, played by the delightful Tautou. A fascinating look at a period in her life that should make viewers admire her all the more. A beautifully constructed and presented biopic." Richard Surfield THE MOVIE PAGES

The Production Team

Director Script From the book Producers Original Music Cinematography Casting Costume Design

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Anne Fontaine Anne Fontaine & Camille Fontaine by Edmonde Charles-Roux Caroline Benjo/Philippe Carcassonne/Carole Scotta Alexandre Desplat Christophe Beaucarne Antonia Dauphin Catherine Leterrier

Run Time 105 minutes Rated PG [AUST] ©2009 - Roadshow Films - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2009 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark laws applied.