There's not a lot of action or dramatic tension in this movie, but there is a story to tell, though subtle, and it is intelligent and utterly convincing of time and place. It is very good.The direction, the cinematography, the score, the acting are all excellent. But the star of the movie is Audrey Tatou, as a woman born with a sense of self and style, almost against her will, who uses those traits to climb through fin-de-siecle French society to, ultimately, become an icon of what most would consider the beginning of modern times. She shifts effortlessly from the angry, self-absorbed youth with an attitude, to a mature women liberated by her lover, through heartbreak to triumph. As another reviewer has noted, the last 15 minutes or so are a master class in emotional range. Never a false note. She's so good that it's easy to forget that she's acting. In the final scene, the cinematography, the score, and Ms. Tatou combine into an unforgettable moment. She is convincing and compelling.

Before watching this film Coco Chanel was for me just a designer,a couturiere, a great one of course.The importance of this film for me was in revealing first of all the personality behind the designer and most importantly her significance and role in shaping the identity of the modern woman.After watching this film she became for me not just a creator of clothes or style but the creator of new,modern,contemporary woman.She has been a breakthrough a turning point forever dividing the social,existential identity of women before and after her.By focusing on the course of her life from the early years of childhood passed in the orphanage to her introduction to the elite Parisian society; the film shows the evolution of Coco a seamstress and singer of second rate cabarets,the girl unrecognized and overshadowed by the aristocracy,to the Parisian woman who has earned the respect and recognition of the same "elite" society who once considered her an outsider.By following her personal life, like her stay at the castle of Etienne Balsan we see how the definition of a woman according to her has been shaped and what have been her challenges in establishing the image of the modern woman. Her breaking the rules of what was considered to be the merits of femininity,like her passion for horse riding,which led her to preference of more simple and practical tendance of clothing and wearing trousers,the film shows the sources of her inspirations,for example in her visit to the sea with the man she loved,she notices the fishermen,their lifestyle,their clothes and from there comes the iconic blue and white striped fisherman tops,one of her trademarks.The film shows us how through her silent observations she creates a revolution,a movement within the lifestyle and social status of women.She not only frees women from wearing corsets ,but allows them to breath the fresh air, the air of daring to be recognized as a woman in a plain little black dress.By following the genie of a woman Coco before Chanel shows us how in the first glance an ordinary and simple work like making dresses can be a great contribution to the creation of modern times.

The portrayal of Chanel's character is throughout the film flat and unnuanced. You'd never believe she was in real life the 'life and soul of the party', capable of wheedling her way into the hearts and minds of monsters and angels alike. There were no insights, no demonstration of how radical she was, how WILD. Instead, all we see are broadly drawn stereotypes. There were some very famous women contemporaneous with Chanel who impersonated men on stage – e.g. Vesta Tilley for one, any of whom could have provided the model for Chanel to follow. We got no sense of their existence. Did we get any real sense of the limited options available to women at that time? Only slightly. I wasn't at all convinced by this film although I thought Audrey Tatou did as much as she could do with the material she was given. The whole could have been a whole lot better.

Audrey Tatou does a remarkable job in bringing Coco Chanel to life. Her portrayal of Coco is a far cry from Amelie. I'm surprised that she wasn't nominated for her performance. Whie her performance is perhaps the film's best feature, the screenplay needed a lot of work. There are gaps and missing info from when she leaves for Paris or to the château. Anyway, I found the film to be entertaining but slow at times. I enjoyed the period costumes which were first rate and the rest of the cast's performances as well. But still it's Tatou's performance as the legendary fashion icon Coco Chanel who stands out in the film. She really captures her in a way that she is humanized to the audience. One can't help wondering who Coco Chanel was. She was a woman but determined, ambitious and driven to succeed independently in a man's world. Coco Chanel deserves movies to be made about her. She defied convention in fashion and in life.