Colette (2018)

Colette is pushed by her husband to write novels under his name. Upon their success, she fights to make her talents known, challenging gender norms.

Director:

Wash Westmoreland

Writers:

Richard Glatzer (screenplay by), Wash Westmoreland (screenplay by)

Stars:

Keira Knightley, Fiona Shaw, Dominic West

1 win & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keira Knightley	...	Colette
Fiona Shaw	...	Sido
Dominic West	...	Willy
Robert Pugh	...	Jules
Sloan Thompson	...	Matilde
Arabella Weir	...	Mme. de Caillavet
Máté Haumann	...	Count Muffat
Ray Panthaki	...	Veber
Al Weaver	...	Schwob
Virág Bárány	...	Lotte Kinceler
Dickie Beau	...	Wague
Kylie Watt	...	Opera Singer
Janine Harouni	...	Jeanne de Caillavet
Jake Graf	...	Gaston de Caillavet
Joe Geary	...	Bailiff

Storyline

After marrying successful Parisian writer Henry Gauthier-Villars, known commonly as "Willy" (Dominic West), Gabrielle Colette (Keira Knightley) is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him. Colette, in turn, pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After it's success, Colette and Willy become the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional Claudine novels. Colette's fight over creative ownership and gender roles drives her to overcome societal constraints, revolutionizing literature, fashion and sexual expression.

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Plot Keywords:

lesbian kiss | novelist | bisexuality | paris france | infidelity | 

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Taglines:

Based on a true story.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK USA France Hungary Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 2018 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Colette

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$161,179, 23 September 2018, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,137,622, 29 November 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Number 9 Films, Killer Films, Bold Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writing of the script for "Colette" began in France in the summer of 2001 under the title "Colette and Willy." Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland were planning to settle in a Paris apartment loaned by a friend, but they had the unpleasant surprise to discover once there that the housing had been rented. They had to fall back on a country house that turned out to be a fifteenth-century manor in a sorry state, without Internet or television. Totally cut off from the modern world, the duo was able to lay down a first version of the scenario in about ten days. The writing was far from over: no fewer than twenty versions of the script have emerged in sixteen years.

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Goofs

The musical setting of Yeats' poem Down by the Sally Gardens likewise was published in 1909.

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Quotes

Colette: Did you ever feel like you were playing a part, Sido?
Sido: In what way?
Colette: As a wife. Or a mother. Like you were just going through with it.
Sido: Sometimes, as a wife. Never as a mother.

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Crazy Credits

There is a dedication to Richard Glatzer, who co-wrote the film's screenplay with Wash Westmoreland, shortly before the closing credits: "For Richard".

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Connections

Referenced in The Graham Norton Show: Olivia Colman/Nicholas Hoult/Keira Knightley/Guy Pearce/Catherine Tate/Rita Ora (2018)

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Soundtracks

Gnossienne No. 1: Lent
Written by Erik Satie
Performed & Arranged by Thomas Adès

User Reviews

Colette (2018)

Keira Knightley in a period piece? Seems like a normal thing and she's good at it, so who's complaining? These types of films don't always work for me because a lot of the time they lack substance and really just flaunt their style, location, and costume design. With Colette I was hoping for something different and an enlightening look into the life of an author I knew little about. I ended up being pleasantly surprised with the film and how interesting it was. Side note, is Dominic West just the smug villain all the time these days?

The film is about the life of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, a 17th century French author and performer and her struggle with life with her domineering husband. She writes books about a character named Claudine (based on her own life) and her husband takes credit for her work. She struggles for independence and eventually fulfills her goals in discovering her own sexuality, performing on stage, and winning back the rights to her own work. Directed by Wash Westmoreland who directed a very solid Still Alice.

No surprise here, Keira Knightley is excellent here. I don't think she can do a bad performance. She lives and breathes every part of Colette. The film has subtle and sly humor and is fairly entertaining throughout. The set design and costumes all breath the would be authenticity of Paris of that time (I mean how would I truly know, right?). I especially liked the Egyptian stage performance scene. The film breathes the embodiment of its time: the style, the class, the debauchery, the seduction, its all there and established well.

The life of Colette is interesting. I'm surprised her husband was so open with her sexuality and her openness to exploring with other women. Otherwise, he's pretty dreadful in a comedic way. The film delivers on what's expected. Its another Knightley affair and one that does what it needs to do very well. A good mix of its style and substance, a period piece that I felt worked.

7/10