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Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for "Colette."
Wash Westmoreland’s biographical drama "Colette" tracks the life of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette — one of the most famous and celebrated French writers of the late 1800's and early 1900's — during her formative early years.
At just 20 years old, Colette (Keira Knightley) marries Henry Gauthier-Villars (Dominic West), a well-known French writer and critic better known by his pen name, Willy. The forceful and boisterous man, 14 years her senior, brings Colette to Paris, where she is deeply nauseated by his high-society friends and lifestyle.
Not long after, Willy enlists his bride as one of his ghostwriters. She pens a bright, ornate novel titled "Claudine at School," based upon her childhood in the countryside. The book becomes a nationwide phenomenon.
Thus begins the power struggle over Claudine's ownership — and that of Colette's very identity.
Why you should care: It's a strong Oscars contender with strikingly modern relevance
British-born director Westmoreland ("Still Alice") has said that translating Colette's "astonishing life" to the screen was a "passion project" for him and his co-director, co-writer, and late husband, Richard Glatzer.
This passion is evident throughout the movie, which treats its titular character with an interest and fascination that women are rarely afforded in Hollywood. The exploration of her rebellion, of the person behind the transgressive art, will feel particularly cathartic for many women in 2018.
Knightley was the perfect choice to communicate Colette's complexity and depth — especially as the bona fide queen of period dramas. She's already nabbed Oscar nominations for "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Imitation Game"— and don't be surprised if another campaign is mounted to honor her performance as Colette.
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Aside from its star player, the film hosts a number of minor but equally satisfying performances by West, Denise Gough, Fiona Shaw, and Eleanor Tomlinson.
Its costumes and set design are fittingly lavish but rarely distracting. Each setting and costume change only seeks to nurture Colette's own self-realization and development as an artist.
What's hot: The acting is impeccable, making the historical drama feel human
Knightley takes great care to portray Colette's intelligence and shrewdness. The power of "Colette" is that, from the jump, she is completely aware of the sexism that saturates her surroundings and relationships. She knows she is marrying a man who is charismatic, yet parasitic.
The story doesn't lead to an eventual realization, but rather explores an ever-present, slow-burning — and, for many women, familiar — rage.
West is similarly excellent. He plays Colette's womanizer husband with a convincing, infuriating self-assuredness — plus, at times, a surprising tenderness. In these moments, he is more pathetic than endearing. But the moments serve the larger purpose of painting a realistic portrait of their toxic marriage.
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The controlling husband is an easy villain, but West's layered performance holds your gaze — as Willy did Colette's. Their marriage is simultaneously affectionate and infuriating, preventing Colette's journey towards liberation from feeling predictable, linear, and stiff.
Colette's extramarital relationships are similarly nuanced. She embraces her fluid sexuality and engages in lesbian relationships that do not feel exploitative, or simply thrown in for dramatic effect.
In particular, Gough's performance as Mathilde de Morny — better known as Missy, a gender-noncomforming aristocrat — is revelational.
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What's not: At times, the film is painfully aware of its own importance
In apparent eagerness to convey the film's self-appointed message of empowerment, the characters are thrown unnecessarily obvious lines and gestures — most of all, Colette herself.
In the midst of an interesting but ultimately confusing sequence of events, wherein Colette becomes a mime and stage actress, she declares, "I will continue to pursue this because I want to"— a scene tailor-made for awards show montages. In the film's climactic moment, Colette proclaims: "I am the real Claudine." But we already knew that.
To be sure, Colette is an empowering figure, and it's refreshing to see a woman who's aware of her own strength. But Colette's story of self-creation is powerful on its own, and only serves to be undermined by clichés and repetitive dialogue.
The bottom line: "Colette" is a dynamic, credible portrait of a fascinating woman
If you hear "period piece" and immediately think of petticoats and boring conversations in stuffy parlors, this is the film to change your mind. "Colette" doesn’t ask that you have any knowledge of feminist history or French literature for the film to do its job. It's genuinely funny and constantly witty, full of drama, conflict, sneers, and smolders.
But ultimately, its greatest strength is how it presents women as complex and whole — as, in themselves, worthy of praise and fury and exploration.
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Initially, Willy refuses to take "Claudine" seriously. He calls the story "too feminine" and says it lacks a plot. Indeed, he only agrees to submit it to publishers under financial duress, after instructing Colette to sprinkle in some sexual longing: "more spice, less literature."
It's not difficult to draw a line between his treatment of her experiences, her "feminine" art, and the derision of women's opinions throughout history. (Even in her 1954 New York Times obituary, after becoming a celebrated novelist, Colette's writing was described as decidedly "not intellectual.")
But "Claudine" ultimately earns Willy wealth, fame, and accolades. Colette publishes three more "Claudine" stories, all semi-autobiographical. She explores her emotions, flaws, mistakes — and it all becomes "the toast of Paris."
With "Claudine" and, now, with "Colette," she has made people feel seen.
Grade: A-
"Colette" is in theaters now. Watch a trailer below.
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