France is one of those countries that is one of the top choices for romance for most people. From the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower and more, it has also been the climax of a number of romantic films, and its romance is part of its culture. At the end of the 1800s, an author’s story took the entire region by storm, and co-writer/director Wash Westmoreland tells that story in “Colette”.
Keira Knightley plays the title character in Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, a girl who lives in the countryside of France who falls in love with (and marries) a writer and critic known as Willy (Dominic West from “The Wire”. Willy is going through a tough spell, so he convinces Colette to start writing a novel about her experiences that he will put his name on. As the novel “Claudine” becomes all the craze, it begins the tension within their marriage and changes both of them forever.
While filmed in Budapest, the crew was able to find some great locations to double as France at the turn of the century to keep the story accurate. The acting is good, but it is neither West nor Knightley’s best work. They do a good job but not a great job, and even with that given the timing and subject matter, there may be some nominations next year that come from it.
Now then… I HATED THIS FILM! I say it again: I HATED THIS FILM! It is way too long to the point where thirty minutes could have been cut out of a movie that was right at two hours. The plot is too simplistic for its length, and given my love for Keira Knightley, even she could not save this bore fest. In order to cut this short (unlike “Colette” does), I will NOT see it again, I cannot recommend it, and I can GUARANTEE that this will make my Bottom Ten when it comes to the end of the year.