As the closing film for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, ‘Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky’ received lots of attention and thankfully lives up to the hype. Anna Mouglalis is a familiar face, the muse of Karl Lagerfield and model of Chanel campaigns, and thus suitably plays Chanel. Based on a novel by a school teacher, this steamy affair finds itself placed just after Audrey Tatou’s memorable performance in ‘Coco Before Chanel’ on the biographical timeline. Two huge artistic icons, of fashion and music, they are a fascinating couple. Their likeminded passions make this film feel like more of an exposé of their lives. It’s a wondrous joy for fans of dark romances and of the pair of characters.
BY LAURA SHEARER
The interplay of visual importance in the exhaustingly well developed costumes and the allure of the perfectly apt soundtrack is something you simply will not be able to resist at any cost. The stylish suave of the overall film completely immerses you in the worlds of the creative minds at work and in love. Placing itself as firm competition for any much loved classic period novel to screen adaptation, the mise en scene is engrossingly befitting for the narrative. The sets are exuberant and lavish with fine detailing at the core of their success, but by no means the only achievement. Huge scaled theatres are brought to life in full colour and charismatic density that’s simply captivating.
The cinematography is of first class standard. Every element from sweeping tracking shots to dramatic stills and, of course, superb editing, places you right there in the moment – sharing heartbeats in this rollercoaster of emotions. It’s that sort of rare fiction that resembles a niche, behind the scenes, fly on the wall viewpoint. In a flirtatious way it develops your growing need to see. So vividly aesthetic you’ll long to literally reach out and touch the fabrics, walk inside the sets and feel the power of the music played first hand.
A new weight has been introduced that wasn’t present in Anne Fontaine’s enigmatic Coco Before Chanel. So much of the mysterious, sultry and work obsessed Chanel is embraced in Mouglalis’ performance. After a few scenes she becomes irreplaceable, the definite Chanel, so mesmerizing you can almost smell her No.5 as she wafts past without a care or second glance.
It’s bizarre that such an open imposition can feel natural, but as the narrative continues and as you gain more of an understanding of the characters, the quicker the surroundings and events are purely experienced and enjoyed. The sheer amount of energy put into the film from all creative participants shines through in every beautiful sequence. It’s eloquent and possesses a great warmth that lingers long after.