‘COCO’S RITE OF SPRING’

cocochanelandigorstravinsky_smallposterStarring: Mads Mikkelsen, Anna Mouglalis, Elena Morozova, Natacha Lindinger, Grigori Manoukov, Anatole Taubman and Nicolas Vaude

Directed by: Jan Kounen

MPAA Rating: R for some strong sexuality and nudity.

Genres: Art/Foreign, Romance, Adaptation and Biopic

Running time: 1 h 55 min

By John Delia

Last year’s Coco Before Chanel now continues with a new lead actress and very brazen content.  Beautifully photographed and directed, Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky is a gem for the art lover and film buff.  If you have been smitten by Chanel’s rise from rags to riches, then this is a must see film.

Audrey Tautou as Coco Chanel in Sony Picture Classics' Coco Before Chanel - 2009
Audrey Tautou as Coco Chanel in Sony Picture Classics' Coco Before Chanel - 2009

In Coco Before Chanel we find the young Coco leaving a convent where she has been brought up after the death of her parents.   Taking a job as a singer, Coco gets to know some of the more upper class establishment.  During this period she meets and becomes the mistress of French textile magnet Etienne Balsan.  While living at his countryside home Coco develops her ability to sew and design.  During this time she also meets and falls in love with Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel and has a long affair until he dies in an auto accident.

Anna Mouglalis as Coco Chanel
Anna Mouglalis as Coco Chanel

The beginning of this story shows her still struggling with her dress and hat design business and still forlorn over the death of Boy.  She attends a premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and becomes charmed by the revolutionary composer during a brief meeting at a party. We flash seven years later to find Coco now rich and socially accepted due to her fine business with dress and hat design.  She meets Stravinsky who is now penniless and invites him and his family to stay at her estate while he writes his next musical piece.  While there a passionate romance begins between the two.

If you have seen the first film then this continuation makes a good companion piece.  The camera work is very good providing a beautiful look at Paris during the late 1800’s

Mouglalis and Mikkelsen in a heated scene
Mouglalis and Mikkelsen in a heated scene

and early 1900’s in which this part of her life took place.  Director Jan Kounen hangs out the affair on for all to see showing us the passion, sensuality and conflicts that makes the story worth the watch.  With a steamy performance by look alike Anna Mouglalis as Chanel and Mads Mikkelsen characterizing the Russian Composer Igor Stravinsky the film becomes justifiably good.

Yelena Morozova
Yelena Morozova

The film features an amazing performance by Elena Morozova as Catherine Stravinsky the scorned wife of the composer.  Her screen presence is magnificent as she takes care of the children while dealing with consumption and a cheating husband.

Historically the movie shows how Chanel developed her line of clothing and the now famous perfume Chanel No 5.  It also shows nearly the complete performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring that was a failure due to its untimely debut.  Original film footage from the Russian Revolution and World War I are spliced into the movie to show the struggles during the period.

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky is rated R for some strong sexuality and nudity.  The film is presented in French with English subtitles.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A good companion piece to a better 2009 prequel. (3.5 of 5)

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