Home Movie Vault Disc Vault Coming Soon Join Our Mailing List Articles Soundtrack
CHANEL COCO & IGOR STRAVINSKY

 ABOUT THE MOVIE

Genre: Drama
Starring: Anna Mouglalis, Mads Mikkelsen, Yelena Morozova, Natacha Lindinger, Radivoje Bukvic
Director: Jan Kounen
Rating: M18 (Edited Version - Sexual References)
Year Made: 2009

 

 


 SPECIAL FEATURES

- NIL


 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Languages: English
Subtitles: English/Chinese
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0
Running Time: 1 hr 57 mins
Region Code: 3
Distributor: Origin Entertainment

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

Paris 1913, Coco Chanel is devoted to her work and madly in love with the handsome and very wealthy, Arthur 'Boy' Capel. At the theatre des Champs-Elysees, Igor Stravinsky premieres his Rite of Spring. Coco attends the premiere and is mesmerised. But the revolutionary work is too modern, too radical: the enraged audience boos and jeers. A near-riot ensues. Stravinsky is inconsolable.

Seven years later. Now rich, respected and successful, Coco is devastated by Boy Capel's death. She meets Stravinsky again - now a penniless refugee living in exile in Paris after the Russian Revolution, the attraction between them is immediate and electric. Coco offers Stravinsky the use of her new villa in Garches so that he will be able to work and he moves in straight away with his children and consumptive wife. And so a passionate, intense love affair between two creative giants begins...

MOVIE REVIEW:

Are you someone like this columnist, a male species who does not understand the fuss kicked up by the other someone of the gender when she sees a Chanel handbag? Or when she goes gaga over a bottle of Chanel No. 5? If you are, then you’d probably empathize with this, ahem, rather unrefined columnist that a branded piece of accessory, or for that matter, a branded bottle of scent, is a commodity which holds high regards because of the perception it gives. Ever wondered who or what are the sources behind these highly respected goods?

This art house drama tells the story of the titular Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky. Based on a 2002 fictional novel by Chris Greenhalgh, it chronicles the affair between the two creative personalities of the 1920s. One is a French fashion designer who is ahead of her time. The other is a Russian composer whose works are not readily accepted by the mainstream audience.

When Chanel invites Strainsky and his wife and children (we expect nothing less from the revolutionary pioneer in woman fashion) to her house, a passionate relationship is formed between the two, which, depending on whether you’re a believer of such sparks of love, inspired the creation of Chanel No. 5.

So there you have it, a story which seems to suggest that the roller coaster of emotions played a big part in the creation of the celebrated scent. It is also said that some of Stravinsky’s most stirring compositions were inspired by the termination of this relationship. Ah, such is the power of love – and loss.

Director Jan Kounen has managed to create the tension and discomfort felt by the two protagonists in this well acted film. Through exquisite set decoration and art design, viewers get a heightened sense of the extravagance and the contrasting streaks of pain depicted in this unhappy love story.

Besides a capable production design team, Kounen has to thank his two lead actors who managed to portray the characters with an engaging dose of anguish and torment, so much so that we do not see what’s so grand about romantic love.

Anna Mouglalis and Mads Mikkelsen are wonderful as Chanel and Stravinsky – watch how the two portray a story of love and hate with credible performances. One look, one gesture, one dialogue – the different forms of expressions relay different dynamics of the doomed relationship. Whether or not this leads to flashes of inspiration and stimulation to create works of art, that is something we may never know.

SPECIAL FEATURES :

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The movie's visual transfer is fine, and is presented in its original French Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track.

MOVIE RATING:



DVD RATING :

Review by John Li

Posted on 17 December 2010

 
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...






Other titles from Origin Entertainment:

. The Descent Part 2

. Please Give

. Grown Ups

. Tekken

. Precious

. The Back-Up Plan

. The Bounty Hunter

. The Book Of Eli [Blu-ray]

. A Serious Man

. Daybreakers

. Extraordinary Measures

. Defendor

. Georgia O' Keeffe

. Armored

. An Education

. Legion

. Did You Hear About The Morgans?

. The Stepfather

. 2012 [Blu-Ray]

. Julie & Julia

. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

. American Son

. Personal Effects

. The Ugly Truth

. Sex, Lies In Sin City

. Hardwired

. Terminator Salvation [Blu Ray]

. Obsessed

. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 [Blu Ray]

. Angels & Demons [Blu Ray]

. National Geographic: Sea Monsters [Blu Ray]

. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children [Blu Ray]


. Paul Blart Mall Cop

. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Blu Ray)

. Cadillac Records

. Underworld Rise of the Lycans

. Rachel Getting Married

. Not Easily Broken

. Anacondas Trail of Blood

. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

. Punisher: War Zone (Blu Ray)

. Seven Pounds

. Red Sands

. Fireproof

. Plasterhead

. Slam

. Quarantine

. Center Stage: Turn It Up

. Street Fighter

. The House Bunny

. The Cook

. Step Brothers

. Open Season 2

. Anaconda 3: Offspring

. Hancock

. You Don't Mess With The Zohan


. Prom Night

. Casino Royale

. Redbelt


. Felon

. Tortured

. Penelope

. Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron

. Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms

. Away From Her

. The Take

. Saawariya

. Black Book

. The Shepherd

. Conspiracy

. Cleaner

. Hero Wanted

. Shattered

. Breath

. Cashback

. Your Name Is Justine


. Death Sentence

. The Jane Austen Book Club

. Across The Universe

. The Triplets of Belleville

. The Ten Commandments

. CJ7

. Love Lies Bleeding

. Living Death

. La Vie En Rose

. Urban Justice

. Perfect Stranger

. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

. Reign Over Me

. Surf's Up

. 5ivegirls

. Vacancy

. Paprika

. Walking Tall: Lone Justice

. Dead Mary

. Spider-Man 3

. Priceless

. Trust the Man

. The Contractor

. Blood And Chocolate

. The Wicker Man

. Wind Chill

. Are We Done Yet?

. Android Apocalypse

. Elizabeth I


. The Proposition

. 3 Needles

. Ghost Rider

. The Pursuit of Happyness

. The Illusionist

. Catch & Release



 


This review is made possible with the kind support from Origin Entertainment

 



DISCLAIMER: Images, Textual, Copyrights and trademarks for the film and related entertainment properties mentioned
herein are held by their respective owners and are solely for the promotional purposes of said properties.
All other logo and design Copyright©2004- , movieXclusive.com™
All Rights Reserved.