Colette

About Colette

Released in 2018, "Colette" is a biographical drama film directed by Wash Westmoreland. The movie gives insight into the life of the iconic French novelist, Colette, showcasing a tale of personal discovery, gender conflicts, and intellectual property rights. It meticulously follows the transformation of a young, simple country girl into one of the promising and controversial female authors of her time.

Making / Production

Directed by Wash Westmoreland and written by Westmoreland, Richard Glatzer, and Rebecca Lenkiewicz, the film was produced by Number 9 Films, Killer Films, and Bold Films. Despite being a film set in Paris, the majority of filming took place in various parts of London, Budapest, and rural Hungary.

Actors

• Keira Knightley as Colette: She skillfully captures Colette's growth from a naïve young girl to a pioneering feminist and acclaimed author.
• Dominic West as Willy: He plays an equally compelling role as Colette's domineering literary husband, bringing authenticity into his portrayal of Willy's charismatic and manipulative persona.
• Denise Gough as Missy: She portrays an aristocratic woman who becomes Colette's lover and offers a nuanced performance that embraces Missy's androgynous nature.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film's screenplay was featured in the 2016 Blacklist of the most liked unmade scripts of the year.
• Colette was the author of "Gigi," a novel which was adapted into a successful Broadway production and later an Academy Award-winning film.
• Although set in Paris, most of the filming for Colette was done in Budapest, Hungary.

Awards

While "Colette" didn't win major awards, Keira Knightley's performance was widely praised and led to a British Independent Film Award nomination.

Quotes

• “I can read you like the top line of an optician's chart.” - Willy
• “If I were you, Willy, I would stick to my two rules of marriage: allow your wife a hobby, ignore her tantrums, and she will make you happy.” - Sido
• "The hand that holds the pen writes history." - Colette

Music, Soundtrack

• The film's enchanting original score was composed by British composer, Thomas Adès.
• Adès' music enhanced the narrative, contributing significantly to the film's turn-of-the-century Parisian ambience.