Before anybody became somebody, they were practically a nobody. That’s the understanding, anyway, and Coco Before Chanel is an extended case-in-point. However, if it exemplifies the previous adage, it also stands testament to the power of two things, unrelated but connected: benefactors and femininity. Though “everyone must start somewhere,” it helps to have someone eventually give you money, and it may expedite that process if one is an attractive woman. This film illuminates both with grace and subtlety.

The young Gabrielle, or “Coco,” played expertly by Audrey Tautou (The Da Vinci Code), works as a seamstress. Earlier still, she lived in an orphanage. At night, Coco and her sister perform and sing at clubs. She catches the eye of a wealthy aristocrat, Étienne Balsan, a man who attempts to give her a shot at a bigger spotlight. Soon, however, he leaves for his large “castle” in the country. Coco, who is now seemingly destitute without her older sister, travels to his home and requests to stay on for a while. “A while” evolves into days, and, eventually, days into years. Creating a strong but odd relationship, Coco and Balsan seem to live happily. When Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel shows up, however, things change, and Coco’s life, as so often seems to be the case with her, will never be the same.

One might guess that a woman who would eventually become the famous “Chanel” would be a tireless worker, an indefatigable individual with an indomitable spirit, working until the job is done, trying harder and harder to achieve her dreams. According to this particular film, that is not quite the case. Anne Fontaine, the writer/director, crafts a story  that seems to depict Coco as a stubborn, at times impetuous, and all around lazy individual. She desires nothing more than “to work,” but it seems only to rid herself of the social constructions of a male dominated society, not because she is such an ideal “hard worker.” On the contrary, she customarily refuses to entertain guests, leaves her suitors and benefactors, and even declines to act in a socially acceptable manner at times.

All this being known, she still succeeded. She was a chic, quirky spirit, whose talent could not be hidden, and Tautou is brilliant, playing her with simplicity, poise, and elegance. The acting is good on all accounts, and the writing (not to mention the beautiful costumes, for which it received an Oscar nomination) complements it well. Fontaine seems to direct with great confidence, gently allowing the story to unfold, slowly but surely, as we grow with Coco, think with her, and aspire with her to autonomy, importance, and celebrity.

Ultimately, we know the ending. Many times, true stories or “Based on a True Story” stories aren’t about the ending so much as they are about the journey, the process, the path taken by a seemingly ordinary person destined for greatness. Coco Before Chanel takes the most famous name in all of fashion, Chanel, and returns to its roots, from the orphanage to the castle, from the castle to the limelight. From here, Chanel, a lowly orphan with an incredible gift, became the Queen of Fashion. This film portrays her lucidly and effectively. Even if you couldn’t care less about the world of fashion, this film, like The Devil Wears Prada, is almost certainly worth it.

Rating: 3.5/4 Stars

Imagine the Godfather trilogy set almost entirely in a prison in France. You now have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Un prophète, both in substance and tonality. This visceral epic depicts the harsh realities of both prison life and the painful truth of being involved in the mafia, whether within or beyond the prison walls. With no holds barred, Un prophète takes the viewer on the journey of one man’s gripping confrontation with life behind bars and the burdens he must bear simply in order to stay alive.

Jacques Audiard (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) directs this ambitious film about an Arab named Malik El Djebena, who is thrown into prison for six years for something he claims he didn’t do. Six years in this prison is an eternity, one that many may not live to see. Djebena catches the eye of who might as well be the Don Vito Corleone of the prison, the inmate who essentially controls the entire institution, guards and all, whose past remains clouded and whose appearance resembles Brando himself in a way. Through one task after another, the prison eventually grants Djebena days of freedom, twelve hours outside the walls of the prison, during which he begins to make ties of his own, ties which will grant him possibilities he never dreamed of, lending credibility, in one scene, to what seem to be prophetic abilities.

Audiard crafts a brilliant, jarring film, and what might as well be a course in storytelling. Much conventional work is incorporated, but some aspects defy convention, including, at times, some engrossing cinematography. Audiard also collaborated on the script (replete with that beguiling quality so characteristic of the French tongue), and it shows, as the level of control seems evident throughout the film. Should a sequel be in order, one can only hope it resembles the intensity and mastery of this one.

Newcomer Tahar Rahim is Djebena in a riveting performance, and his counterpart, Niels Arestrup, plays the Don, César Luciani, with compelling honesty, in what may be his magnum opus. The casting is spot on all around, and the performances all up to the task. In fact, there are no weak links in the acting chain here, as all the roles are played extremely well.

Raw, unflinching, and powerful, this film is an absorbing encounter, a veritable Godfather for a new generation (a fact of which it is not unaware – at one point, Djebena is told he is the godfather of someone’s newborn son), and an instant classic. One of the best films of the year, it is a triumph, a must see for anyone capable of withstanding the film’s nearly three hours of unadulterated brutality.  A film worthy of recognition, Un prophète deserves to be seen again and again and again.

Rating: 4/4 Stars