6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
This is the story of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, who begins her life as a headstrong orphan, and through an extraordinary journey becomes the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman and became a timeless symbol of success, freedom and style.
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Benoît Poelvoorde, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos, Alessandro NivolaDrama | 100% |
Biography | 31% |
Foreign | 25% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Love is best in fairy tales.
The aptly-titled Coco Before Chanel peeks into the life of a young nobody of a French girl
before she founded a fashion empire and her name became synonymous with quality and the
label
that defined an industry. Starring Audrey Tautou (The Da Vinci Code) as
the film's title character, Coco Before Chanel is a unique picture that emphasizes the life,
thoughts, and characteristics of a young girl before wealth and stature entered her
life but seemingly never came to define it, the film a celebration of roots and struggles rather
than a simple recap of a woman's
construction of a fashion conglomerate. Indeed, it's Coco Before Chanel's innocence and
subtle tone that emphasizes the person and not the name that makes the movie special, the title
itself a perfect moniker for a picture that's about a person that happened to one day make a
name
for herself rather than focusing on a name that's synonymous with fashion but not the flesh and
blood
and, most importantly, heart and soul, behind it.
Chanel after Coco.
Coco Before Chanel weaves a generally terrific 1080p transfer housed in a 2.35:1 frame. The image is one that's incredibly film-like, striking in its rich detail and lavish depth, the picture for the most part an example of a transfer that truly defines "home theater." Fine detail throughout the film is natural and eye-catching; the loose threads and intact stitches in garments, woven hats, textured brick façades, the scratches and natural lines on an old wooden desktop, and other assorted details seen in the film's various locales but primarily within the walls of Balsan's country castle are impeccably rendered throughout the film. Exterior shots sparkle, too; grass is a breathtaking shade of green and other natural foliage proves finely detailed, even in some greater-distance shots. The film's color palette seems just slightly washed out and drab; white and grays and blacks seem the predominant members of the picture's color scheme, but the many splashes of other shades are presented with nary a hint of over-saturation. The image also delivers a strong sense of depth in every frame alongside a fine layer of film grain that, combined with the transfer's fine color reproduction and intricate detailing, lends to the transfer a mesmerizing film-like appearance. Only a hint of excessive softness in some scenes and blacks that sometimes look a bit too washed out and bright mar an otherwise gorgeous transfer from Sony.
Coco Before Chanel fashions an excellent DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack for this Blu-ray release. The film's score is nicely implemented, its delivery full and rich with a slight accompanying back-channel support structure. The track also features fairly good ambient effects; listeners will feel like a passenger in the old horse-drawn wooden cart that transports Gabrielle to the orphanage at the beginning of the film, while other exterior environmental effects as heard during various scenes of the film -- chirping birds, slight blowing winds, waving grasses, and rustling leaves -- are nicely and very subtly realized but with more of a front-focused presentation. More zealous interior ambient effects, such as the din of patrons at a lounge where background chatter, clanking silverware, and steps on hardwood floors are a bit more pronounced and perhaps slightly overly so, these effects at times competing with dialogue for the most prominent aspect of the track. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is a comfortably bustling one, fairly immersive and a welcome addition to the track. Coco Before Chanel isn't a bass-happy film, but the pounding of horse hooves in several scenes delivers a nice low-end presence to spruce up the track. Generally, Coco Before Chanel is a dialogue-intense film, and the spoken word enjoys superior clarity throughout; the accompanying music and supportive effects are nicely presented and round out a full and satisfactory listen.
Coco Before Chanel sews together a tidy supplemental package for this Blu-ray release. First up is an audio commentary track with Writer/Director Anne Fontaine, Producer Philippe Carcassonne, and Editor Luc Barnier. Presented in French with optional English subtitles, the participants discuss a broad array of topics, including choosing an opening shot for the film, crafting a film with just the right thematic tone, artistic influences and connections throughout the film, the work of editing a feature film, the performance and real-life skills of star Audrey Tautou, the film's costumes, and much more. The Making of 'Coco Before Chanel' (480p, 46:12, French with English subtitles) is a seven-part documentary that dissects the construction of the film and offers a plethora of behind-the-scenes footage and cast and crew interview clips. Segments include The Project's Origins (5:36), Coco's Look (8:30), An Extraordinary Destiny (5:25), Étienne Balsan (11:08), Boy Capel (6:47), Historical Reconstruction (6:01), and Anne Fontaine (3:20). The next supplement, 'Coco Before Chanel:' The Meeting (480p, 18:17, French with English subtitles), features a selection of cast and crew individually discussing the life of Coco Chanel and those around her, her fashions, and various elements behind the making of the film. Walking the Carpet: From Los Angeles to New York (1080p, 7:49) takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the film's premieres at two elegant locations. Also included is BD-Live functionality; the Coco Before Chanel theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:02); and additional 1080p trailers for An Education, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Whatever Works, Paris 36, Soul Power, A River Runs Through It, By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, Michael Jackson's This is It, Easy Virtue, The Class, and I've Loved You So Long.
Coco Before Chanel is a wonderful biopic that emphasizes all the right parts of the fashion designer's early life, examining her drive, her skills, her thoughts, her loves, and the people that defined her existence, all of which together allowed for the construction of an empire that's synonymous with fashion in the same way that Henry Ford is synonymous with the automobile or Samuel Colt is synonymous with the six-shooter. A lovely film that's wonderfully acted, engaging and endearing, and beautifully conceived and handsomely executed, Coco Before Chanel is one of 2009's better films, perhaps not as shiny as some and not as memorable as others, but a wonderful all-around throwback-style film that emphasizes life and story in the midst of some exemplary costuming and set pieces. As expected, Sony's Blu-ray release of Coco Before Chanel is wonderful, the disc boasting a high quality and naturally film-like 1080p transfer, an easygoing but exceptionally clear lossless soundtrack, and a nice collection of bonus materials. Coco Before Chanel earns a hearty recommendation.
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