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 its 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:

History is about to change.

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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

Gross USA:

$5,137,622

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,273,033

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

The exteriors were shot in Paris but the French countryside was reconstructed in the regions of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. Due to the lack of budget needed to shoot entirely in Paris, the team also moved to Budapest where it shot in natural settings, as well as Origo studios.

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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

Willy: People love to talk. They praise you to your face. Then the moment you turn around there's knives in your back.

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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

Featured in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Maya Rudolph/Fred Armisen/Dominic West (2018)

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Soundtracks

Septet in E Flat Major, Op.65: IV Gavotte et Final: Allegro Non Troppo, Animato
Written by Camille Saint-Saëns
Arranged by Thomas Adès

User Reviews

Very well done; changing history? Not so nice.

Very well done, interesting. A nice period piece. However, at the end the director states, after I thought I was watching a movie that was historically accurate, that he had changed several characters and other aspects to make them more contemporary (meaning: what he thinks the way things ought to have been 100+ years ago, vs reality) re: gender, sexual preference, racial matters, etc. As such, the movie to a degree is fiction; a lie. Which is sad, as it detracts from the ground breaking path that Colette lived.