Review of Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009) by Jk F — 28 Aug 2010

Absolutely exquisite to look at, the film successfully managed to avoid the 'beautiful but empty' cliche of many costume dramas chiefly due to its central pairing. Anna Mouglalis' incarnation of Chanel was simultaneously tough but brittle.

The gorgeous Mikkelsen's take on Stravinsky meanwhile was a wholly convincing portrait of wounded masculinity. Both characters meanwhile displayed the kind of intellectual superiority and detachment that made their union passionate and yet also inevitably brief.

The costume and production design were quite as breathtaking as you could possibly imagine. The photography and visual style as a whole were both ravishing. The pacing and editing felt quite deliberate and whereas I suspect others may find them slow, they seemed to be quite carefully attuned to the narrative as a whole and gave the performances necessary time and space to breathe.

This felt particularly important when so much of the acting was 'below the surface'. An unusual movie, but an unexpected treat nonetheless.