Colette

(spoiler free)

In his first film since ‘Still Alice’, the film in which Julianne Moore earned her much overdue Leading Actress Oscar, Wash Westmoreland tells the story of French writer Gabrielle Colette. Keira Knightly stars in the leading role alongside Dominic West who portrays her husband, Henry Gauthier-Villars, more commonly referred to as “Willy”. ‘Colette’ premiered at Sundance Film Festival almost a year ago now and was released in the US in September last year, finally it’s been released in UK cinemas too but will it have been worth the wait?

Don’t let the film’s period drama appearance fool you into thinking that this will be a drab affair as ‘Colette’ is anything but this. Instead the film boasts a fascinating narrative full of complex and interesting themes. From the opening scenes you could be mistaken for thinking that this would be a simple period drama romance and whilst there are most definitely romantic elements to this story it offers so much more than just this. It presents an at times difficult to stomach collection of attitudes on such subjects as gender, relationships and creative opportunities. Of course these attitudes are largely a product of their time although it’s alarming to think that many of these attitudes are still present in society today. The screenplay has a lot to juggle thanks to its multitude of themes and it handles them very well, showcasing the appropriate periods in Colette’s life to highlight them most effectively. Only in a few instances does the film begin to feel a little lengthy however, the score by Thomas Adès makes sure that for the duration of the runtime that audiences are treated to a delightful composition of music. It has the special ability to shift very dramatically from its usually quaint sound to a much harsher tone giving ‘Colette’ a fantastic edge and versatility in its storytelling.

The film is consistently driven forward by Knightly’s brilliant portrayal of this utterly compelling woman not content to conform to the norms of her time. Knightly deals with Colette’s complexities incredibly well showing her progression and development in a very authentic feeling fashion. In addition to this the visual progression of Knightly’s appearance as Colette over time is remarkable too, so subtly changing over the years the narrative spans you may not even notice until you’re forced to remember how far she’s come. She has an excellent chemistry with her on screen husband Dominic West, who proves a fine addition to the cast in one of his best roles in recent memory. He has the charm necessary to make the couple’s initial romance work and his development, or lack of this, of his character, just like that of Knightly’s is delivered with precision and allows the narrative to excel. The remaining cast are good, but the film is really propelled to its climax by that of Knightly and West with Knightly especially shinning, so much so that it’s a little baffling as to why she hasn’t really been mentioned this awards season.

Nonetheless, ‘Colette’ is a thoroughly engaging period drama that has so much to say and does so in such entertaining fashion. Knightly is excellent in the titular role with really great support from West, and as a result the pair create a powerful dynamic which makes the narrative a captivating cinematic force to be reckoned with. Proving shockingly relevant despite being set so far in the past ‘Colette’ is as important as it is entertaining, the perfect combination for great cinema. 

Written by Hamish Calvert

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Rating – 8/10

Question: What is your favourite period drama film?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)

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