Colette

Colette is pushed by her husband to write novels under his name. Upon their success, she fights to make her talents known, challenging gender norms…

Colette tells the tale of a free-spirited farm girl who marries a man of frivolous nature that works in the writing business. When times get tough, he asks her to ghost write for him which leads them down a path of success but also down a road that takes their marriage to places they probably never expected. Not only does Colette discover she has a knack for writing but also truly discovers herself as a person.

Keira Knightly shines bright, delivering an incredible performance alongside Dominic West. Both giving a push and pull to the relationship making each other’s characters shine a little brighter with each scene.  It’s easy to think that women didn’t do a whole lot, maybe throwing afternoon tea parties back in the day but Knightly who is familiar with period pieces really shows you what women were really made of at the beginning of the century. A role she is surely to be remembered for.

To say this film touches on some touchy subjects of the time is probably an understatement. An expectation of acceptance of infidelity plays early in the film, something Colette has to learn to deal with. Not being able to write under her own name due to the assumption that women writers don’t sell even when the target audience of her books is women. Also, not to forget her sexuality as she begins to explore new endeavors and develops a relationship with a woman. Knightly so gracefully approaches each issue in the film with a head strong fierceness.

Director Wash Westmoreland has adapted a beautiful film of the life of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. Watching her grow from a young woman into a woman with such charisma, delving into many passions including not only writing but journalism and acting as well. All the while dealing with a stubborn husband that you question if he even loves her at all or if he’s just using her for her talent. It was a tough time for women’s rights in the late 1800s to early 1900s but once Colette reaches for the stars demanding to be seen there’s no stopping her. It’s safe to say the woman was a trail blazer.

Watched December 26, 2018 on Blu-ray.