Colette - Review
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Cast: Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Eleanor Tomlinson, Denise Gough, Aiysha Hart
Based on the most famous female French literary writer of the 20th century, Colette tells the story of a woman whose voice is quashed, merely on the basis of her sex, but defies all societal and gender conventions to have her words be heard - and it's a story that resonates to this day.
After marrying charismatic novelist Willy (West) and moving to Paris, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Knightley), later known simply as Colette agrees to ghost-write a series of semi-autobiographical noels. They soon become the toast of Paris but Colette and Willy's unorthodox marriage is tested as Willy places greater demands on Colette and she requests rightful authorship over her work.
Keira Knightley is no stranger to roles that require her to don a corset or other variations of a period costume but with Colette, she treads new ground and gives one of the most measured performances of her career. Practically in every single frame of the film, Knightley captivates us from the first moment and convincingly presents the character's emotional growth over the years. At the beginning of the film, a 20 year-old Colette is in awe of her much older and more worldly husband. As she settles into married life and is thrown into the bustle of the city, it's clear that this sheltered, countryside young woman has no trepidation when it comes to expressing her discontentment or disapproval, especially in regards to Willy's philandering ways and irresponsible lifestyle.
Initially disenchanted with her husband's mild response to her writing, Colette's confidence in her talent grows by her debut novel's immediate success and she soon wishes to be recognised for it. Unwilling to meet her demands, Colette chooses to find other outlets for her creativity, namely provocative amateur dramatics that ensure all eyes are on her. While Colette is emboldened by both accomplishments and adversities, Willy is incapable of evolving like his taboo-busting wife. His behaviour and attitude remain the same throughout and he is seemingly doomed to repeat the same patterns.
Wash Westmoreland does a fine job with the material, deftly understanding the depth of the story even if there is an awful lot to cram in. His directorial voice is muted and not incredibly stylistic, thereby allowing the actors' performances and the nuance of the narrative to take centre stage. Westmoreland clearly favours emphasis on the characters over visual flourish, highlighting their extravagance, bad behaviour and societal eschewing over all else.
A period piece that bolsters a heroine for our modern times, Colette is a spirited and celebratory film propelled by a career-best performance from Knightley.
EB
Cast: Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Eleanor Tomlinson, Denise Gough, Aiysha Hart
Based on the most famous female French literary writer of the 20th century, Colette tells the story of a woman whose voice is quashed, merely on the basis of her sex, but defies all societal and gender conventions to have her words be heard - and it's a story that resonates to this day.After marrying charismatic novelist Willy (West) and moving to Paris, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Knightley), later known simply as Colette agrees to ghost-write a series of semi-autobiographical noels. They soon become the toast of Paris but Colette and Willy's unorthodox marriage is tested as Willy places greater demands on Colette and she requests rightful authorship over her work.
Keira Knightley is no stranger to roles that require her to don a corset or other variations of a period costume but with Colette, she treads new ground and gives one of the most measured performances of her career. Practically in every single frame of the film, Knightley captivates us from the first moment and convincingly presents the character's emotional growth over the years. At the beginning of the film, a 20 year-old Colette is in awe of her much older and more worldly husband. As she settles into married life and is thrown into the bustle of the city, it's clear that this sheltered, countryside young woman has no trepidation when it comes to expressing her discontentment or disapproval, especially in regards to Willy's philandering ways and irresponsible lifestyle.
Initially disenchanted with her husband's mild response to her writing, Colette's confidence in her talent grows by her debut novel's immediate success and she soon wishes to be recognised for it. Unwilling to meet her demands, Colette chooses to find other outlets for her creativity, namely provocative amateur dramatics that ensure all eyes are on her. While Colette is emboldened by both accomplishments and adversities, Willy is incapable of evolving like his taboo-busting wife. His behaviour and attitude remain the same throughout and he is seemingly doomed to repeat the same patterns.
Wash Westmoreland does a fine job with the material, deftly understanding the depth of the story even if there is an awful lot to cram in. His directorial voice is muted and not incredibly stylistic, thereby allowing the actors' performances and the nuance of the narrative to take centre stage. Westmoreland clearly favours emphasis on the characters over visual flourish, highlighting their extravagance, bad behaviour and societal eschewing over all else.
A period piece that bolsters a heroine for our modern times, Colette is a spirited and celebratory film propelled by a career-best performance from Knightley.
EB
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