In fairness to Anne Fontaine, the director, this isn't meant to be the full story of Coco's life. The events of the film seem to have been carefully chosen.
Comment
06/28/09
Coco Before Chanel (2009)
76
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:22
Rotten:7
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: Though it doesn't quite capture the complexity of its subject's life, Coco Avant Chanel remains a fascinating, appropriately lovely tribute.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jun 25, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $5,288,153
Synopsis: Coco Before Chanel is the story of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, who began her life as headstrong orphan, and through an extraordinary journey became the legendary couturier who embodied the modern... [More]
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain
Director: Anne Fontaine
Reviews for Coco Before Chanel
Top CriticThe story of Coco's formative years is fascinating, if let down a little by a somewhat stereotypical orphan opening and a haphazard rush to the finish line.
06/28/09
Top CriticIt doesn't quite fulfil the promise of the subject.
06/24/09
Top CriticIt’s an unconventional life and a fascinating story brought rather limply to life by director Anne Fontaine.
06/24/09
Top CriticThe film is best viewed as a beguiling fairytale about a woman who loved fashion while despising the concept of the fashion victim.
06/24/09
Top CriticThose flocking in for the fancy frocks will be in for a surprise in this approved biopic, which has its emphasis on the "before" part of the title.
06/24/09
Top CriticAudrey Tautou, gives a near flawless performance as an ambitious, unorthodox young Chanel.
06/23/09
Top CriticMuch is said, but we feel little. It is the imagery that wafts into our senses like the alluring No 5. I can still see her in my mind's eye, wearing chic white pyjamas, cigarette dangling from her lips as she puts the finishing touches to her latest hat.
06/19/09
Top CriticThis refreshing alternative to the usual potted biopic provides an absorbing look at a singular, steely determination as it was forged and annealed, long before it made itself known to the world.
10/16/09
Top CriticThe film loses some of its fascination when Coco is unmistakably launched on her career path. But that's when the story ends; this is titled Coco Before Chanel for a reason.
10/08/09
Top CriticTautou not only resembles Chanel, she inhabits the role completely, using flashing eyes and a relentless intelligence to convey the unbending strength of a woman determined to make something of her life in a time and place when that was far from the norm.
09/25/09
Top CriticIt's a special pleasure to watch this vibrant Coco taking in the world around her and turning it to her use, in her fashion.
09/25/09
Top CriticThe blossoming of her ambition, as much as her love life, drives the story forward, and turns Coco Before Chanel into a costume drama worthy of the name.
09/25/09
Top CriticThe film, while scaled-down, is quite beautifully woven, like a classic Chanel tweed.
09/24/09
Top CriticI missed the desperation that goaded the real Coco—not just the sulks that pass like rain showers across Tautou’s prettiness but that brisk contempt for existing conditions which led Chanel, like any French revolutionary, to overturn them.
09/21/09
Top CriticMore a snapshot of a moment than conventional biography, and while less complex than it might want to be, still a quietly thoughtful look at one of the 20th century’s most influential characters.
07/31/09
Top CriticRather staid in its approach, this film is nowhere near as fascinating and unpredictable as its subject.
07/31/09
Top CriticA handsomely dressed and tastefully furnished drama that rolls out pretty conservatively, but is notable for two excellent performances.
07/31/09
Top CriticCoco Avant Chanel is a dull, superficial portrait of a brilliant woman.
06/28/09
Top CriticAn incomplete yet enjoyably decadent portrait of a woman who came to define style and grace.
06/28/09
Top CriticLatest News for Coco Before Chanel
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