Tautou seems sweeter and more charming than the woman she plays with such contained intensity, but she, too, exudes confidence and speaks with conviction few would argue with. In fact, so focused was she on our interview that when voices from the hall outside became distracting, she marched over to the hotel room door, pulled it open, and firmly asked the astonished flurry of publicists and media waiting there to please speak more quietly so we could concentrate. “ Merci !”
As the movie tells us, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel grew up in an orphanage with her sister and became a courtesan, aspiring actress and singer – though not exactly a good one. (The nickname Coco came from a song she used to belt out in nightclubs, about a lost dog of the same name.) As she manoeuvres her way into high society, we see her strength, street-smart humour and need for love. We learn of her relationships with two men, Étienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde) and Boy Capel (Alessandro Nivola), both of whom eventually enable her to choose work over marriage. We see her discover her calling, and, after tragedy, devote her life to work.

See the full article from “Globe and Mail”