Coco Before Chanel12A

Directed by Anne Fontaine | France | 2009 | 1h 50m | French w/ English subtitles | Starring Audrey Tautou, Benoît Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos

Young Coco Chanel works as a seamstress by day and a cabaret entertainer by night, then she meets a wealthy heir and becomes his lover and fashion consultant. Tired of the flowery hats, tight corsets and yards of lace that define women’s fashion, Coco uses her lover’s clothing as a starting point to distill an elegant and sophisticated line of women’s clothing that propels her to the top of Parisian haute couture.

The Oxford International Women’s Festival will host a post-screening discussion on Monday 13th March.

Reviews

‘Fontaine’s film is gorgeous, but its beauty is practical, almost textile, like a Chanel tweed.’
★★★★
Nina Caplan, Time Out

‘An epic story that gradually develops into a beautiful and beguiling homage to the first lady of fashion.’
Monisha Rajesh, Little White Lies

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Coco Before Chanel between March 12, 2023 and March 13, 2023.

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What else is on?

Today (Friday 19th April)

15:30

Io Capitano 15
2h 2m | Arabic, French & Wolof w/ English subtitles
Deeply emotional and humane drama, based on firsthand testimonies, exploring the hope, heartbreak, and harsh realities of migrant experiences. Nominated for Best International Feature at this year’s Oscars.

Book here

18:15

Evil Does Not Exist 12A
1h 46m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Captivating eco-drama by Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) following residents of a small rural village nestled outside Tokyo opposing the development of a luxury "glamping" site on their land.

Book here

20:45

Mothers' Instinct 15
1h 34m
The seeds of guilt, suspicion and paranoia are sewn between two friends in this suspenseful psychological thriller set in suburban America and starring Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway.

Book here


Tomorrow (Saturday 20th April)

15:45

Evil Does Not Exist 12A
1h 46m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Captivating eco-drama by Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) following residents of a small rural village nestled outside Tokyo opposing the development of a luxury "glamping" site on their land.

Book here

18:15

Mothers' Instinct 15
1h 34m
The seeds of guilt, suspicion and paranoia are sewn between two friends in this suspenseful psychological thriller set in suburban America and starring Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway.

Book here

20:30

Io Capitano 15
2h 2m | Arabic, French & Wolof w/ English subtitles
Deeply emotional and humane drama, based on firsthand testimonies, exploring the hope, heartbreak, and harsh realities of migrant experiences. Nominated for Best International Feature at this year’s Oscars.

Book here


Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!