Review: Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky
Another chapter in the life of history's most influential woman in fashion continues with the screen adaptation of Chris Greenhalgh's 2002 novel Coco & Igor as Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (French title: Chanel Coco & Igor Stravinsky). This dramatization of Chanel's alleged affair with a man as influential and diverse as herself picks up not long after where last year's critically acclaimed by Anne Fontaine, Coco Before Chanel, ends. Although the two films have much in common, there's less appeal and passion to this adaptation.
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky begins with a scandal, but not quite the one immediately expected -- the 1913 Paris premiere of Stravinsky’s modernist ballet, "Le Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring)." Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) is nervously awaiting for the curtain to rise as Ballet Russes impresario/founder Sergei Diaghilev (Grigori Manoukov) and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky (Marek Kossakowski) are frantically directing the dancers and orchestra. Within the first act, the classical music audience becomes enraged at the violent motif and dissonance of Stravinsky's work, so much that a riot breaks out and police must be called to calm the masses. Throughout the chaos, Coco Chanel (Anna Mouglalis) quietly and intently observes the ballet and the crowd's reactions. She departs without meeting Stravinsky, but it's evident she's drawn to him.
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky flashes forwards to their first encounter in 1920, with Chanel dressed in black mourning the death of her lover Arthur "Boy" Capel and Stravinsky exiled from Russia after the outbreak of World War I. Stravinsky is penniless, with several children and a wife suffering from tuberculosis. He's easily persuaded to accept Chanel's offer of lodging in her home outside of Paris, and not long after they begin an adulterous affair. His wife Katarina (Elena Morozova) accepts the affair momentarily, but not before cautioning Chanel not to interfere with his music. Despite the lovers' physical passion, in this film Chanel seems unable to connect to Stravinsky's artistic passions. Katarina understands her husband better than he knows himself, and removes herself and her children from the household to let the affair run its course. Their affair ends badly, with Chanel rejecting Stravinsky -- the reasons seemed a bit unclear in this dramatization.
One of the highlights of Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky is some exceptional lead actors. Mouglalis brings more height and chic to Chanel than the fashion icon herself. She effectively portrays Chanel in her many personalities, from the independent and determined businesswoman to a sexually liberated woman. The character of Stravinsky did not engage me, and I found him to be rather boring. However, I don't think that the fault lies with Mikkelsen -- he does a wonderful job with the material that was provided. It's more likely that his character suffers from the writing. Having not read the book itself, I can't say whether the fault lies in the source material or the screenplay itself.
The narrative of Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky is a bit monotonous, and even the sex scenes themselves are rather tedious. For a movie about the passion between two diverse and unconventional people, there's very little heat or excitement on the screen. The best dialogue of the film involves not Chanel with Igor but with his wife, Katarina. Most memorable moment is when she asks Chanel -- "Do you ever feel guilt?" to which Chanel simply replies, "No."
The costume design and sets of Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky are exceptional and chic. One of my favorite scenes is of Chanel's trip to Grasse, the center of France's perfume industry. Chanel is seen in the lab, intent on creating the perfect perfume. She rejects vial after vial of fragrance until she must choose between two -- she decides on the vial marked "No. 5." Reportedly clothes worn by Chanel herself were provided for this film, and filming took place in Bel Respiro, Chanel's manor in Garches, as well as in her well-known Parisian apartment at 31 Rue Cambon.
As lovely to look at as Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky may be, there's still so much lacking in this movie that I'm hard-pressed to recommend investing two hours in a theater. If you are interested in seeing a film about Chanel, I would recommend renting Coco Before Chanel instead. I also hope someone will make a film that more accurately represents Stravinsky's life, which after researching I've discovered is not as boring as Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky led me to believe.