Director: Jan Kounen. Cast: Anna Mouglalis, Mads Mikkelsen, Yelena Morozova. 119 min. Rated R. France. Drama.
Anna Mouglalis is a much more interesting Chanel compared to Audrey Tautou's in Coco Before Chanel of the same year, and Mad Mikkelsen has such a silent ominous presence, you expect him any moment to cry a tear of blood as he did with the James Bond villain in Casino Royale. But the main character here is neither Chanel nor Stravinsky, but his wife Katarina, a tragic figure who helplessly watches (and accepts) her marriage crumble before her eyes. Beautiful photography and an ingenious soundtrack work wonders in keeping the drama very much alive.
(Disclaimer: To enjoy this movie, know Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring", nicely featured in Walt Disney's 1940 animation Fantasia.)
Mo says:
Anna Mouglalis is a much more interesting Chanel compared to Audrey Tautou's in Coco Before Chanel of the same year, and Mad Mikkelsen has such a silent ominous presence, you expect him any moment to cry a tear of blood as he did with the James Bond villain in Casino Royale. But the main character here is neither Chanel nor Stravinsky, but his wife Katarina, a tragic figure who helplessly watches (and accepts) her marriage crumble before her eyes. Beautiful photography and an ingenious soundtrack work wonders in keeping the drama very much alive.
(Disclaimer: To enjoy this movie, know Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring", nicely featured in Walt Disney's 1940 animation Fantasia.)
Mo says:
interesting point you brought up about Stravinsky's wife. I agree ! And also about the comparison,....This Coco is much more interesting that that Coco , although I didn't like this kind of affair (I'm not Anti-affair in movies! it depends to the case !)I still admire her passion for work in her time, regardless her personal life.
ReplyDelete* Wikepedia:Stravinsky was reputed to have been a philanderer and was rumoured to have had affairs with high-profile partners, such as Coco Chanel. He never referred to it himself, but Chanel spoke about the alleged affair at length to her biographer Paul Morand in 1946; the conversation was published thirty years later.[96] The accuracy of Chanel's claims has been disputed by both Stravinsky's widow, Vera, and by Craft.[97] Chanel's fashion house avers there is no evidence that any affair between Chanel and Stravinsky ever occurred.[98] A fictionalization of the supposed affair formed the basis of the novel Coco and Igor (2002) and a film, Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009). Despite these alleged liaisons, Stravinsky was considered a family man and devoted to his children
Thank you for the additional info. The fact that there are so many contradictory narratives about Stravinsky's love life, tells me that something must have been going on ...
DeleteGreat fact ! we can use it like a quote : "The fact that [when] there are so many contradictory narratives about Stravinsky's [people ] love life, tells me that something must have been going on ..."
ReplyDelete;)
:-D
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