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 & 10 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 | based on true story | exploitation | paris france | 

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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

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 2019 (UK)

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

-A long process of writing:--Colette's writing began in France in the summer of 2001 under the title of 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 a first version of the scenario in about ten days. But the writing was far from over: no less than twenty versions of the script have emerged in sixteen years.

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Goofs

In the dance studio scene which takes place in 1904, a pianist is seen playing Golliwog's Cake-walk by Debussy (repeated by orchestra in the soundtrack). The piece was not composed until 1909.

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Quotes

Colette: My name is Gabrielle Colette and the hand that holds the pen writes history.

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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

Faust - Valse et Choeur, Ne Permettrez-Vous Pas Me Belle Demoiselle
Written by Charles Gounod
Performed by L'Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse (as Choeur et Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse), Michel Plasson

User Reviews

Keira Knightley deserves better..

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. I truly believe that Keira Knightley is a very good actress? But jeez it feels like she has been type casted again and again with this kind of movies and 'Colette' was no different either. Dull, Boring and just very uninteresting as a whole? This movie did nothing to me to impress me especially the whole gender norms and all? I think were a bit too much and hardly made any sense either too in the end. (3/10)