#TIFF18: “COLETTE” REVIEW

Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong

The last time Director Wash Westmoreland was at TIFF, it was to introduce his Movie Still Alice, which earned Julianne Moore an Oscar. He’s back with COLETTE, where Kiera Knightley, as the 19th-century French Writer, illuminates the screen.

At 20 years-old, she marries  Gauthier-Villars, best known as Willy, a famous Author and Publisher (a career highlight performance by Dominic West), who ultimately encourages her to write and, more importantly, fully examine her sexual attraction to other women. As female authors were not accepted by the French in the early 1900s, Colette’s books, a series of semi-autobiographical stories about a young woman named Claudine, were published under Willy’s name. The success of these books create more havoc in their marriage due to Willy’s unbridled spending habits. Colette turned to acting and during one sketch on stage, exposed a breast and passionately kissed another woman, which scandalized the French elite.

COLETTE is an engrossing, Costume-Drama Biopic that hits stratospheric heights due to the letter-perfect performance from Kiera Knightley.

COLETTE screens on Thursday, September 11 at 5:45 PM, Princess of Wales Theatre and Friday, September 12 at 12:00 PM, Winter Garden Theatre.