Movie review: "Colette" (2018)

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Colette is considered France’s greatest female writer whose best known for the 1944 novella “GigI” which was the source for the classic movie musical. She died in 1954 after a long and sometimes decadent life. I have been by her historical plaqued apartment at the Palais-Royal in Paris and to her grave at Pere Lachaise Cemetery. My favorite work is the 1920 novel “Cherie” which I have seen dramatized on the Parisian stage and the 2009 film adaptation starring Michelle Pfeiffer. I was interested in seeing this 2018 biopic and unfortunately it lived down to my low expectations. The major problem with “Colette” is being a British production with a British cast pretending to be French speaking in bloody British accents. That kills any flavor and atmosphere despite handsome period production values. Direction should have been in French sensibility hands rather than Englishman Wash Westmorland (best known for Julianne Moore’s Oscar winner “Still Alice”). Although a favorite actress, Keira Knightley is miscast as Colette carrying none of the woman’s essence. Knightley is simply too British slim model compared to messy haired oh-so-French round faced Colette who possessed a more voluptuous figure of that era. The film is basically fact accurate and plays like a Wikipedia entry. In 1893, 20-year-old rural girl Gabrielle (Colette was her maiden and professional name) marries Henry a.k.a. “Willy” 15 years her senior. Henry is a well known music critic and writer (Willy is his pen name) and man about town in Paris. In fact, Henry is a notorious rake and womanizer. He is also a fraud whose writing is actually performed by “factory writers” following his instructions and published under Willy. Colette’s ability is discovered and nurtured by her husband and her four wildly successful “Claudine” novels are credited to Willy who reaps the financial rewards. “Colette” travels through the paces of their marital discord. Henry’s infidelities, gambling, reckless spending habits and exploitation of his wife’s skills. He literally locks her in a room demanding she produce words. The man is symbolic of male suppression of women so prevalent in those times. There is emphasis on Colette’s lesbian dalliances including notorious long term affair with a transgender. The film concludes with Colette free from Henry and about to publish the first novel under her own name. Fame and fortune await. Pacing is slow and the film is uninvolving even boring at times. As always Knightley is beautiful to look at. “Colette” seems more interested in social commentary for today’s PC climate than in the subject herself. Colette’s fascinating life would best be served by a French miniseries.