"It's the hand that holds the pen that writes history."
He had the name. She had the talent. This is her story.
Once upon a time, Willie (Dominic West) locked his wife, Colette (Keira Knightley), in a room so she could write their next great novel. Why do I say their? Well, Willie took the credit for a wonderful writer's words. That is why. The real story behind the film, also named Colette, is how she used this injustice as a chance to champion women's rights and flip gender norms on its head.
It's too bad the film, co-written and directed by Wash Westmoreland, takes such a powerful true story and fumbles it on the way to the end zone. Colette lends credence to the idea that some famous stories don't always make good movies, and that a certain level of filmmaker is required to make it something special. Westmoreland walks a straight line with the material, resulting in the movie lacking any poignant resonance or sizzle.
Knightley is an Oscar-nominated actress and West is one of the more versatile talents out there, but even they can't rescue this movie from dull boredom. There's nothing for either actor to chew on here, so they simply go through the motions. This isn't a case of being miscast, but more like acting a role out without leaving a dent. You watch, shrug, and move on to the next cinematic adventure.
The film picks up the story in 1893, when Willie woos Colette with his witty and blunt charm, and the two soon get married. When she is thrust into the rich world that comes natural to him, she feels like the black sheep thrown into the wolves den, leading her to pick up a pen and write a little. When Willie, a well-regarded theater and music critic with a publishing flair, realizes how talented she is, he convinces her to ghost write his next novel. This leads to the famous Claudine series of novels, and it also leads to a divide between the couple.
Before long, they are exploring a sexually open marriage and growing apart, with Colette wanting recognition with each page that she writes. Sabotage, betrayal, and more bad news follow, and she eventually goes on to...well, you can look it up on Wikipedia.
That's the biggest problem here. Googling Colette is more fulfilling than watching her story unfold during this movie, which fails to ignite your interest or pull you in with such an invigorating story. The film covers the least-fulfilling period of her life, submerging the rest of her life and accomplishments into a short bit at the end that feels tacked on. She would go on to live another 45+ years after the events of this film conclude, which feels like a cheat to the viewer. If there was a movie that spanned a whole life, this would be the story to work with.
This is the film that falls into the unfortunate category of "okay, but not worth ten dollars". Colette looks good, has a fine cast, and the intentions of telling a powerful story-but comes off as a monotonous exercise. A story like this shouldn't be so forgettable. By the time I left the theater, it simply rolled off my shoulders like a floating feather would skip off a wool coat with a minor gust of wind.
Is it worth seeing in theaters? No. Is it worth a look on Blu Ray at home? Sure. This isn't a movie to rush out and see, instead being one that is safe for home viewing.
Unremarkable without being wholly bad, Colette is a by-the-numbers rendition of a tale of women's rights that should have packed more of a punch.
