SummaryAfter marrying a successful Parisian writer known commonly as “Willy” (Dominic West), Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Keira Knightley) is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him. She pens a semi-autobiographical novel abo...
SummaryAfter marrying a successful Parisian writer known commonly as “Willy” (Dominic West), Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Keira Knightley) is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him. She pens a semi-autobiographical novel abo...
All the affairs and scandals that a French literary genius could wish for, with the bonus of a modern heroine and a story that acknowledges the diversity that has always been with us.
Cinematography: 9.529/10 The film flows well and looks good. Talk about subtlety infusing the camera as a part of the story.
Costume Design: 9.522/10 Costume becomes a necessary point in the film to acknowledge: it's not only useful for the story - but works well and looks good for the overall film.
Film Editing: 9.872/10 Solid. Really nice balancing throughout the film in conjunction with the story. Very intimate.
Make-up and Hair-styling: 9.879/10 Solid.
Sound Editing: 9.792/10 Solid.
Visual Effects:9.459/10 Solid.
Story: 9.792/10 Solid.
Acting: 9.812/10 Solid.
Personal: Colette offers history through entertainment in a very accurate, only seemingly subtle - though very present - sense. The film has a strong focus on gender-social relations which stands on a foreground though is so backhanded. Through all the festivity, culture - sounds of life for their, Colette and Willy's, time - Collette glamorizes the neck which she adorns for all to gaze in awe and curiosity. Colette is a film about talent and particular social relationships through a scope - a limited sense, though a world nonetheless to and of other lives with only so much being capable of being revealed through the film.
Is this a Feminist film? Loaded term, right? I wouldn't say so - but, it calls attention to women in insufferable relationships seeking their freedoms and finding their ways about expressing them. Many interesting psychological questions arise from watching Colette: are women acting accordingly within the film to truly express themselves, or to try their hand at being like the ones in the positions which distress them unequivocally, or in spite of individuals (in this case men, though a situation rises between women concerning control and reputation which seems to ultimately support an idea of self and reputation in the film) seemingly oppressing them? There's definitely a large showing of women attempting to express themselves and admiring other women doing so. There is seemingly spiteful dialogue concerning men in a general sense which may be irking for guys none the like of the accused men especially since it's coming primarily from a women with particular wants herself.
There are many boundaries to assess with a film like Colette. I don't think the film is a timely film: I simply think it is a film which further contributes to an ongoing though more public conversation of female countenance and draws the idea of being a man into question among other incredulous societal orders. Sadly, people attempt to be selfish in negative ways that don't benefit societies. Thinking of Colette really makes me think of human conditions which vary society to society, neighbor to neighbor, individual to individual though affect discourses of times.
It's one thing to talk, live, and think business. It's another thing to talk, live, and think biased, stereotyping, and prejudiced. Colette is a really good film offering a grand stage for inquiry. How much does curiosity, inexperience, and naivete play in an individual's development? What is the city versus the country to Colette(very nice subtle touch in the film - very poetic)?
Overall: 9.707/10
-K.D.
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Westmoreland means to celebrate Colette the literary titan and bisexual pioneer, and to dissolve your initial outrage at her mistreatment in a warm bath of feel-good satisfaction. But he also wants to paint a lively, credible portrait of a genuinely complicated marital arrangement and to show how one woman’s genius could flourish even amid so much oppression and compromise.
Westmoreland’s narrative is cluttered with undeveloped subplots and loose ends. He compensates by evoking the era with images drawing from painters like Gustave Caillebotte and Toulouse-Lautrec and soundtrack music that ranges from Strauss-like waltzes to Erik Satie’s “Gymnopédies.”
A lot was left behind in this depthless account of a disaffected ghostwriter who wanted to affirm her artistic gift, freely and publicly. She actually did it with bravery and conviction, but this film doesn’t do her justice. Hence, my suggestion is: save your ticket money and read Colette’s biography instead.
The movie COLETTE is like prequel for the movie COLETTE, three-quarters for prelude, including interesting state of “affairs”, inclines Knightley’s chance to fight as wholly fascinating figure, somehow, it is just too late. Still, a light, moderately entertaining period piece.
Keira Knightley plays the famed Parisian author, who not only created a series of wildly popular and influential novels, but also explored a controversial polyamourous relationship with her husband (Dominic West). He initially took credit for writing the books, which eventually caused her rebellious spirit to fully ignite. Knightly does fine in the lead. Her costumes are especially attractive. This is more a biography than a romance, depicting their intense love, stormy relationship, creative conflict and period accoutrements with visual appeal and cultural relevance, but not much passion. May appeal to those who appreciate historical drama.
It's a genuine shame that this film is so dull. The main performances from West and Knightley are so "one-note" that after my tenth yawn I gave up being impressed by the set design and the costumes. Pity. You would have thought that the intrinsic nature of the off-beat relationship between these two literary figures would make for dynamic cinema but somehow the drama is just hinted at and not exposed in the raw. What would Burton and Taylor made of this scenario !! But they were legends and ,unfortunately West and Knightley are just actors. I look forward to Westmoreland's next film as I genuinely think he has found a way of curing chronic insomnia.
Production Company
Bold Films,
British Film Institute (BFI),
HanWay Films,
Killer Films,
Number 9 Films,
BFI Film Fund,
MEDIA Programme of the European Union