France's own Audrey Hepburn, Audrey Tautou, steels the screen once again in Anne Fontaine's 'Coco Before Chanel.'  Whether the story is true to the actual 'Coco,' Tautou evokes a character that the pioneering fashion mogul must have possessed.

Breaking social norms and a drive for personal success in a time where women were seen more as ornaments than admired for intelligence and whit, Tautou reminds us of the ambitious woman who single-handedly changed women's fashion.  Although the depths of Fontaine's "Coco" only run skin deep, the audience celebrates in her successes, even when it means sharing a bed with well-to-do men to get ahead.

'Coco Before Chanel' is an interesting depiction of one of Time Magazine's most influential people of the 20th century.  Although a classic surface rags to riches story, the audience seems to understand that the life of Coco Chanel (Gabrielle Bonheur) was anything but as uncomplicated and simple as her clothing.

by kiley lane