Impeccably staged, but stiffly played, this is an elegant, if airless account of the designer’s tempestuous dalliance with the composer. In failing to convey the scandalous impact of The Rites Of Spring at the start, Jan Kounen sets up a melodrama that misses the cultural significance of the protagonists and the tensions that curtailed their affair. Adopting an air of egocentricity, Anna Mouglalis suggests Chanel’s fierce independence, but Stravinsky’s restless intellect eludes Mads Mikkelsen, who gives a stoic display of complex genius matched by the sulking of ailing wife Elena Morozova. It captures the biopic clichés tastefully without ever erupting into life.
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky Review
Paris, 1920. Wealthy fashion doyenne Coco Chanel (Mouglalis) and penniless composer Igor Stravinsky (Mikkelsen) begin a passionate affair that sparks a furiously creative period in them both.
Release Date:
06 Aug 2010
Running Time:
118 minutes
Certificate:
15
Original Title:
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
A beautifully designed but overly formal biopic that can't match the greatness of the artists it depicts.
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