Colette

At the end of the 19th century, the French novelist Colette was a literary sensation who scandalized belle époque Paris by having affairs with men and women. Her story begins in 1892, when impish 16-year-old Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Keira Knightley) lives in the Burgundy countryside with her parents (Fiona Shaw, Robert Pugh). When she’s courted by witty Henry Gauthier-Villars (Dominic West)—aka the prolific writer “Willy”—the match is considered a coup since her family cannot provide her with a proper dowry. Arriving in Parisian society as Willy’s wife, Colette discovers that he is actually just the front-man for the Willy brand, shamelessly employing several ghostwriters to churn out books under his pen name. In addition, he’s a gambler, spendthrift, and unapologetic roué. When Willy needs fresh material, he locks Colette in a room, demanding that she chronicle a roman á clef about a teenage lesbian romance. (Somewhat disconcertingly, Colette speaks in English but writes in French.) While pliant Colette functions as chauvinistic Willy’s literary slave, her social life flourishes, particularly after she flirts with Georgie Raoul-Duval (Eleanor Tomlinson), a mischievous Louisiana heiress who simultaneously embarks on a liaison with Willy. And that frees Colette to become tabloid sensation “Claudine,” pursuing a brazenly erotic relationship with cross-dressing Mathilde de Morny (Denise Gough). Directed by Wash Westmoreland, this is a sensuously subversive portrait of the rebellious author who penned over 80 books, including Gigi and Cheri. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “Notes on a Scene” (8 min.), deleted scenes (7 min.), a behind-the-scenes segment (2 min.), and a costume design photo gallery. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an engaging bio-pic.] (S. Granger)