Watching: Colette

[white_hart]

2019's cinema-going is two for two on f/f historical costume dramas so far. (Sadly, this streak seems unlikely to continue, as next week will be Stan and Ollie which I expect to be utterly devoid of lesbians, alas. And the week after may well be Mary Queen of Scots which I suspect will be femslashy but without either actual lesbians or much in the way of actual history, at least in the sense of Things That Happened or Things That May Plausibly Have Happened, rather than Things We'd Really Like To Have Happened.)

Colette is a fictionalised version of Gabrielle-Sidonie Colette's marriage to the writer Henry Gauthier-Villars, better known simply as 'Willy', a writer and critic more inclined to self-promotion than to actual writing, employing a team of ghostwriters to produce the works published under his brand and eager to capitalise on his young wife's writing talent by publishing her 'Claudine' novels under his name. It's beautifully filmed, with an aesthetic very reminiscent of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings (I'm fairly sure that some shots were deliberately set up to invoke particular paintings) and stunning costumes; Keira Knightley is very good as Colette and Dominic West (plus some very impressive facial hair) is wonderfully Mybuggian as Willy.

It left me feeling rather embarrassed that I've never read anything by Colette. I do have a copy of Claudine at School that I bought years ago so I may have to dig it out and give it a try, though I wish I thought my French was anything like good enough these days to read the original (once, I could probably have managed it).

Comments

[hilarita]

For the Mary Queen of Scots one, really, if they're not going to do much in the way of actual History (TM), they could at least provide more lesbians. I approve of lesbians in films (though I'm very unlikely to go to the actual cinema, because it's too loud and bright).

[antisoppist]

*contemplates genderswap Laurel and Hardy*

Daughter and I just got back from seeing The Favourite, which was brilliant. Local cinema mainly objected to the atmospheric sound effects.

My copy of Claudine at School was translated by Antonia White.

[shewhostaples]

I nearly bought Claudine At School a couple of months ago, but I told myself that I could and should read Colette in French. Rather regretting it now: there's not much on Gutenberg. Also it's more difficult than Verne.

I am intending to make good on my resolution and go and see The Favourite tomorrow. Maybe Colette the week after next.

[nineveh_uk]

I can stick my copy of Cheri in the internal mail, if you like.

[sfred]

Ooh, I am planning to see this at the weekend and am looking forward to it even more now.