Colette was a remarkable woman whose quest for freedom allowed her to accomplish great things, although it also led to her being hurt by, and hurting, many people. The movie Colette simplifies her into a woman who only needs to rid herself of a domineering husband to blossom into fabulousness. This makes for a satisfying arc with sumptuous scenery and costuming and wonderful acting, but at the cost of character complexity.

The movie begins as a young Colette (Keira Knightley) marries Henry Gauthier-Villars, who everyone calls ‘Willy’. Willy runs a business in which he and a number of ghost writers produce articles and novels. Initially Colette is devastated to discover that Willy cheats on her, but the two decide that they are both free to have affairs with women (only women), as long as they are honest about them. Colette has a liaison with Georgie, played by Eleanor Tomlinson (AKA our very own Demelza Poldark). After this affair ends (messily) Colette finds love with Missy, whom the movie portrays as a transgender man. Colette divorces Willy and embarks on a career onstage, while also demanding recognition that she is the true author of Claudine.

While Colette is experiencing sexual liberation, she is also discovering success as a writer of semi-autobiographical novels about her counterpart, Claudine. The first of these books, Claudine at School, becomes a huge hit and inspires fashion trends and merchandise. Inevitably, it becomes a stage play, with various young women showing to to audition with the words, “I am the real Claudine” (a sentence which becomes important later). As Colette realizes how good of a writer she actually is, and becomes more realistic about her husband’s flaws, Missy reminds her, “He keeps you on a long leash…but it is still a leash. Someday you will have to decide if you are Claudine or you are Colette.”

This is a pretty tame and simplistic movie for such a sexual and artistic revolutionary. There’s a little bit of nudity and there’s a lot of sex but all the sex is of the “almost completely covered people bouncing up and down or doing things with offscreen or otherwise concealed hands” variety. Colette’s arc is a simple one (break free of the patriarchy and be yourself) even though her personality and her life were not simple at all.

However, the acting (and costuming) in this film is sublime. Angry Keira Knightley is surely the best Keira Knightley. The supporting actors are all excellent, and in an admirable bit of casting several supporting characters who were Caucasian in real life are played by people of color. While I expected (and got) greatness from Keira, I’ve never watched much of Dominic West’s stuff so I was very impressed with his portrayal of Willy. He infuses Willy with wit and charm, making it easy to see why Colette loves him and why she stays with him for so long. I was also impressed with Denise Gough who plays Missy with a confident casualness.

I recommend this movie for the costumes, the visuals, and the sublime acting. However, if you want to know about the real Colette, I recommend the biography Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman, which discusses her contradictions and flaws while still admiring her talent.