Colette

Name: Colette
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Released: September 21, 2018
Duration: 111 min
Rating: 74
Cast: Aiysha Hart, Al Weaver, Arabella Weir, Attila Árpa, Caroline Boulton

2018

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Generally favorable reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 65 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 65 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Bleecker Street | Release Date: September 21, 2018 | Not Rated

Starring: Aiysha Hart, Al Weaver, Arabella Weir, Attila Árpa, Caroline Boulton, Denise Gough, Dickie Beau, Dominic West, Eleanor Tomlinson, Fiona Shaw, Izzy Bayley-King, Jake Graf, Karen Gagnon, Keira Knightley, Masayoshi Haneda, Máté Haumann, Ray Panthaki, Rebecca Root, Robert Pugh, Shannon Tarbet, Sloan Thompson, Virág Bárány

Summary: After 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 aboutAfter 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 about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After its success, Colette and Willy become the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional Claudine novels. Colette's fight over creative ownership and gender roles drives her to overcome societal constraints, revolutionizing literature, fashion and sexual expression.… Expand

Director: Wash Westmoreland

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 111 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Rex Reed

Sep 21, 2018

The best and most lavishly appointed, gorgeously photographed period movie in years. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Sep 20, 2018

Colette is an origin story, a tale of metamorphosis rather than of already formed greatness. What interests Mr. Westmoreland is how a self-described country girl became a woman of the world, a transformation that in its deeper, more intimately mysterious registers remains out of reach of this movie and of the hard-working Ms. Knightley. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Jan 14, 2019

This is a highly enjoyable and bracing piece of work from Wash Westmoreland. Read full review

The Playlist Jordan Ruimy

If only more period pieces these days were as finely tuned and accessibly pleasurable as Westmoreland’s film. Read full review

Moira Macdonald

Sep 27, 2018

Here, the focus is on Knightley, who delivers some of her best work. Read full review

Emily Yoshida

Politeness may be the film’s weakest point, whether with its characters or bedroom scenes. But it’s hardly something to complain about, especially when the company is this lively. Read full review

Filipe Freitas

Jan 22, 2019

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. Read full review

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User Reviews

Dufreshest

Oct 14, 2018

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 theCinematography: 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.

If you're into Poetry and other bits of creativity, check out my Instagram: @Dufreshest.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Masada

Aug 19, 2019

An attest to Knightley's acting talent's and a statement towards anyone who wants to be who they really are, pretty and well acted, a joy to watch.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SaraClements

Oct 15, 2018

Once again, Keira Knightley is out there giving a powerhouse performance in period clothes, but this time, she replaces the corset with a dapper suit. And Colette may just be her best performance yet. Knightley plays Sidonie–Gabrielle Colette, one of the most celebrated French novelists ofOnce again, Keira Knightley is out there giving a powerhouse performance in period clothes, but this time, she replaces the corset with a dapper suit. And Colette may just be her best performance yet. Knightley plays Sidonie–Gabrielle Colette, one of the most celebrated French novelists of all time. But her famous Claudine novels were never always her own. As a woman, she was forced to hide behind her novelist husband’s name and watch him get all the glory for her work. But, as the film shows, she fights back – for her work, and for her name.

Colette is a badass that has slipped the minds of many, but Wash Westmoreland’s film, despite taking place in the late 19th-early 20th century, is timely, as women are still fighting her fight. Fighting for equality, a voice, and the right to be individual. Many of Knightley’s past characters have worn the accessory of asphyxiation, but right out of the gate, Colette’s refusal to conform to the traditional female dress of Belle Époque high society is just one of the indications that the audience is in for a “We can do it!” kind of narrative. Colette follows the period in the writer’s life when she was married to writer Henry “Willy” Gauthier-Villars. We see the sexual drama of their marriage and Willy’s newfound success as a writer after he asks Colette to write a series of books based on her school days. The Claudine novels became an almost overnight success, transforming into a national brand with young women lining up for the latest in Claudine dresses, beauty products, cigarettes – you name it, they had it. While keeping inside her talent from the world, she flourishes outward in this story of identity.

The film paints the portrait of a woman whose life is explored over two decades. Knightley is at the top of her game here, as she manages to create the illusion that her character ages throughout the film’s runtime. Her skin may lack the signs of age, but her demeanor does not. Through Knightley’s gestures, mannerisms, the way she carries herself, the audience feels Colette’s growth from the shy Gabrielle to her husband Willy’s fantasy of her as Claudine to finally, Colette; she transforms into an independent, self-made force and releases herself from the chains her husband has tied to her for so long. As Willy, Dominic West will no doubt make many women hate men more than they already do, but he proves just the right match to his costar. In the midst of Parisian high art, culture, and cuisine is the discourse on gender politics, as we see Colette’s struggle to write her own name under the title of her novels. But the film also discusses sexuality, and as a queer period piece, it’s full of it. Despite Colette being married to a man, she is sexually fluid. Throughout the course of the film, we see Colette explore her sexuality through her style – going from ballgowns to neckties – and her partners. She has her first female fling with Georgie, played by Eleanor Tomlinson who sports a divine Louisiana accent. Followed by one of her lifelong partners Missy, played by Denise Gough who plays up Missy’s masculine charm well as the perfect support to Colette.

There has been some discourse around the casting of Denise Gough, as many claim Missy was a trans man. However, while Hollywood does have a terrible track record when it comes to casting cis actors to play trans roles, Missy’s identification as a trans man is not discussed in the film, nor is it possible to be 100% certain that she was trans in real life. While Missy has a masculine attitude and fashion sense, she could be a he/him butch lesbian. This isn’t uncommon as, for example, Greta Garbo often wore male attire and referred to herself using male pronouns, but was not a trans man. The film does, however, contain a scene where Colette addresses Missy using male pronouns and corrects Willy when he uses feminine ones. It’s an important piece of narrative in a medium that is often lacking in identification of the kind. Despite this, the film isn’t absent of transgender talent, with actor Jake Graf in his role as playwright Gaston De Caillavet, emphasizing the point that casting trans actors, in general, is equally as important as casting them in trans roles.

It’s a poignant, unabashedly feminist period piece that is playful and honest in its storytelling of a young girl’s coming of age, her exploration of her own womanhood, and her fight against the patriarchy. The fashion may have gone out of style, but the message has not. While no longer is it, “The hand that holds the pen [that] writes history,” but the voices that shout the loudest that do.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

GinaK

Oct 2, 2018

A fun movie with Kyra Knightley and Dominic West. You can learn a little about the author Colette and a bit about La Belle Epoque and wallow in some clichés about writing (sometimes writers do it more for the money than for art, etc.), but basically this is a colorful and entertaining filmA fun movie with Kyra Knightley and Dominic West. You can learn a little about the author Colette and a bit about La Belle Epoque and wallow in some clichés about writing (sometimes writers do it more for the money than for art, etc.), but basically this is a colorful and entertaining film with a lot to like – as long as you “go with it” and don’t ask a lot of questions.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JLuis_001

Nov 15, 2018

Definately this is not the kind of film that attracts many audiences but I found it interesting enough to take a look and I was honestly surprised.

No doubt seeing it without knowing who Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette was will be strange for not knowing anything about her life and I didn't knowDefinately this is not the kind of film that attracts many audiences but I found it interesting enough to take a look and I was honestly surprised.

No doubt seeing it without knowing who Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette was will be strange for not knowing anything about her life and I didn't know a damn about her with the exception that she wrote the famous novel Gigi but this film is an interesting piece in which Keira Knightley delivers one of his best performances in years and is quite entertaining despite its simplicity.

If you have the opportunity to see it, do it, I don't think you will be disappointed.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

foxgrove

Oct 12, 2018

despite a less than auspicious beginning, Colette finally finds a satisfying rhythm with the introduction of the first Claudine book. Keira Knightley and Dominic West have enough chemistry to keep the picture interesting and the costumes and music add another sumptuous dimension to a notdespite a less than auspicious beginning, Colette finally finds a satisfying rhythm with the introduction of the first Claudine book. Keira Knightley and Dominic West have enough chemistry to keep the picture interesting and the costumes and music add another sumptuous dimension to a not unrewarding production.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

hydemike

Jan 18, 2019

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 betweenIt'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.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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