The struggle from small beginnings to vibrant and wonderful successes always end up being the most appealing stories to become the newest biopics. Coco Avant Chanel, or its working USA title Coco Before Chanel, is no exception to the rule. Using a different turn on the famous fashion designer’s life, the cast and crew of this particular project tells her story in a beautiful yet empowering way.

Although no biographical picture is a hundred percent true to what happened in a person’s life, they still follow the main timeline as closely as possible. The story brings you on the steady ride through Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s (Audrey Tautou) life from when she was a child to her time participating in the long love affair with French playboy Étienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde). A love triangle begins to emerge between Balsan and his good friend Arthur “Boy” Capel (Alessandro Nivola) while she strives to find her own place in the fashion world. Writers Anne Fontaine and Camille Fontaine show their interest and love for this woman’s life throughout the telling of the story.

The Da Vinci Code and Amélie star Audrey Tautou takes on the role of the inventive and strong-willed ‘Coco’. She completely disappears into the role, steeping herself in the imagination and determination that the before-her-time designer carried. Étienne Balsan stands tall as the slightly unlikable, powerful yet misunderstood lover, using the awkward chemistry between Tautou and himself to his advantage to further push the better half of the love story. That better half comes along with Alessandro Nivola who completely clicks with Tautou as the soft-spoken and supportive Arthur.

Anne Fontaine succeeds in her first period piece, not only helping in the process of bringing to life the era that Coco had to go through but letting the audience take her hand through all of the failures and triumphs. Showing her obvious admiration for the iconic figure, she walks through particular aspects of her life with Tautou and tells it with grace. The overall design of the film brings back to life the early 1900s, sweeping the audience along in the subtle romanticism that surrounded France in those years. The design of the costumes was soft and elegant, showing the extent of Chanel’s imagination, expressed through different forms of clothing. The cinematography is subtle too, by turns strong and beautiful, waltzing hand-in-hand with Fontaine’s vision of Chanel’s life.

What Fontaine and Tautou were able to achieve is an engaging and entertaining newer perspective on Coco’s life. Filled with the drama, pain and joy that she experienced herself you just get completely wrapped up in it and love every minute. You find a new appreciation for Gabrielle Chanel and just get the urge to watch this over and over. Even though the film is not as long as one would expect a biopic to be, you just enjoy it so much you want to find out even more about what she’s done.

Rating: ★★★★☆