Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 0021442091395 Format: Color Label: Best Film & Video 2 Manufacturer: Best Film & Video 2 Publisher: Best Film & Video 2 Release Date: 1997-06-11 Running Time: 107 Studio: Best Film & Video 2
Customer Rating: Summary: A lush, compelling portrait of Coco Chanel's life and passions Comment: Coco Chanel is quoted as having said: "So many worries are gone when one decides not to be something but to be someone." How well that describes Coco herself, a strong-willed woman who decided to "be someone" and, through tremendous persistence and drive, ended up doing just that -- in the process changing women's fashions forever. Gone were the corsets and restricting outfits women had suffered for ages, and in came comfortable clothing - (the "little black dress," the shift, bell-bottom pants)- that allowed women freedom of movement without forfeiting a feminine "look."
Coco was larger than life, and no film based on the life of a legend can ever do such a person justice. I am writing this review to balance out the less-than-positive reviews by two other reviewers as I truly enjoyed this film, and I feel that it more than succeeds at accomplishing what it sets out to do. And that is to let us experience what it was that drove Coco Chanel, and what personal themes defined her life and her craft. Why was it that such an attractive, larger-than-life individual, surrounded by suitors, admirers and lovers always felt herself to be "solitaire?" Women viewers may respond to this treatment of her life more than men for the way this film seeks to answer that question. (To answer another reviewer), this movie was never meant to be a serious biography of Coco Chanel -- it is a dramatization of the first half of her life, with an emphasis on her great loves (played by Rutger Hauer and Timothy Dalton, both of whom give outstanding performances.)
The theme of this film can be seen in the title: CHANEL: Solitaire ("alone"). It centers around the theme of love and loss that lived within the heart of Coco Chanel, and it is beautifully played out here, with high production values and marvelous performances by Marie-France Pisier as Coco, and a superb international cast. (Perhaps with the exception of Karen Black). This dramatization of a good part of her story gives us a glimpse at why it was that Coco was driven to "be her own person." Could it be that because she came from nothing and had no one but herself to "belong to," Coco was somehow freed to create herself as whatever "someone" she wished to become? Perhaps. Being "solitaire" (alone, abandoned and heartbroken as a child) may have made it easier for Coco to eschew convention with her life choices, with her relaxed "uni-sex" designs and her personal lifestyle. That would truly be one of life's ironies. Coco refused to forfeit her dreams - to escape the pain and stigma of her past, she created and recreated herself throughout her life, always taking herself and her designs to a new level.
But, whatever the forces were that allowed her to come from nothing and create herself as the legend she is, the film does a fine job of portraying her life. She was not only a path-breaking designer but a remarkable businesswoman, and became one of the richest women in the world at a time when such accomplishments were rare, if not largely unknown, for any woman who did not inherit or marry into wealth. We see much of that in this film. Yet, the image of her that remains after the film has ended is the one of Coco standing alone on the spiral stair. That image, seen at both the opening and the finale of the film, serves as "brackets" for her personal story. It represents the central theme of this telling of Coco's life: even with her immense success, her greatest passions and yearnings remained unfulfilled. In the midst of all that glamour and greatness, Coco Chanel remained always "Solitaire." Customer Rating: Summary: SOLITAIRE should be left alone Comment: It's a shame that such a fine cast was wasted in this poor attempt at biography. We all know that oftentimes book-to-movie translations lead to reinterpretation of the original work. While this is disappointing at times, it is also expected in many cases. With bio and auto-biography, directors, writers, and producers should stick with the FACTS. Coco Chanel was known for fabrication. Much like Judy Garland, Chanel reinvented herself over and over again by making up stories and, well, lying. It is documented that she did this to "escape" a childhood of "humiliating" poverty and a family utterly lacking in culture or sophistication. Also, and more importantly, why not a bio-pic of her ENTIRE LIFE? A superficial melodrama about her tortured love life does not compare to the actual facts of her life: she came from abject poverty, her original backers WERE the men (Balsan and Capel) who kept her, she revolutionized womens fashions in ways that are still in effect today, she was one of the wealthiest women in the world, she carried on affairs with the Duke of Westminster AND a Nazi officer during World War II which led to her Swiss exile, she came back later in life to reclaim her position as the ultimate doyenne, and she lived a very long life with many famous friends until she died in the early 1970's in her late 80's. Pisier, Hauer, and Dalton shine against a gorgeous background of Parisienne streets, cafes, and coromandel screens but where is the truth and the deference owed to one as unique and as fascinating as the real Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel? Sadly, not in this picture. A feature film treatment of Axel Madsen's bio is long overdue. Customer Rating: Summary: A Major Disappointment Comment: While there are moments when this movie shines, it's really a terrible waste of time and celluloid. The actress cast as Chanel is quite lovely, and she sometimes actually resembles the great fashion designer, and she's given good support from Timothy Dalton and Rutger Hauer. Karen Black gives another one of her silliest performances as Hauer's mistress who convinces Chanel to open a hat shop in Paris.
Still, there are many facts that are ignored and it's not as lavish and lovely as it should be. If anyone deserves the A & E Biography to set the record straight it is Coco Chanel. This is a good way to waste an afternoon on mindless biographies. Pair it with another turkey like Julie Andrews as Gertrude Lawrence in STAR or Diana Ross as Billie Holiday in LADY SINGS THE BLUES and you'll have lots of useless fictional information about great women of this century.
Customer Rating: Summary: A casting triumph. Comment: An enjoyable movie with excellent casting. Timothy Dalton's portrayal of Boy Capel was brilliant and Marie as "Coco" was perfect. Their love affair reminded me of "Out of Africa". Dalton's fans should love this one because of the numerous scenes in which he is featured. (In a few scenes, I thought for a moment I was watching Peter O'Toole.)
