Colette

Name: Colette
Genre: Drama, History
Released: 2018-09-21
Duration: 1 h 52 min
Rating: 6.8
Cast: Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Denise Gough, Fiona Shaw, Robert Pugh

History is about to change

Colette (2018)

Timing: 1:52 (112 min)

6.8/10
60 327

—
no scores

6.9/10
958

6.7/10
28000

Rate the movie:

Everything about the movie

Video 9

Photo 37

Actors and characters

Video for the film Colette — Colette | Official Trailer | (2018)

2:30

Photo 37

Release date

2018-09-21

Country

United Kingdom, United States

Production

Bold Films, Killer Films, Number 9 Films

Genre

Drama, History

Budget

Box office

$14 273 033

Website

https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/colette

Director

Wash Westmoreland

Actors

Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Denise Gough, Fiona Shaw, Robert Pugh, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ray Panthaki, Dickie Beau, Jake Graf, Polina Litvak
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Christine Vachon, Stephen Woolley, Pamela Koffler, Michel Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, Elizabeth Karlsen, Norman Merry, Svetlana Metkina, Mary Burke

Camera operator

Giles Nuttgens

Composer

Thomas Adès

Artist

Michael Carlin

Audition

Susie Figgis

Editing

Lucia Zucchetti, Joanne Dixon
Whole Team (185)

Short description

After marrying a successful Parisian writer known commonly as Willy, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him. She pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After its success, Colette and Willy become the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional Claudine novels.

What's left behind the scenes

For the role of Colette, the director and screenwriter Wash Westmoreland had planned from the beginning to cast Keira Knightley, and an agreement was reached when he met her via video link at the moment he received an invitation to the Shanghai International Film Festival. It was midnight, Westmoreland's phone battery was running low, but during a few minutes of conversation, he persuaded the actress to accept the role, after which the battery finally died.
From the very beginning, director and screenwriter Wash Westmoreland planned to cast Keira Knightley in the role of Colette. An agreement was reached when he first met her via video call while receiving an invitation to the Shanghai International Film Festival. It was midnight, and Westmoreland's phone battery was running low, but within a few minutes of conversation, he convinced the actress to accept the role, after which the battery finally died.
Wash Westmoreland wrote the script for this biographical drama back in 2001, but work on the project had to be postponed at that time.
During location shooting in Budapest, it was so hot that Dominic West (who played Willie) wore a special watersports vest under his heavy costume. It worked like a car radiator, evenly distributing water across the upper body, and thus cooling the body. West was recommended this method by John C. Reilly, who played Oliver Hardy in the John S. Baird biopic 'Stan & Ollie' (2018).
During location filming in Budapest, it was so hot that Dominic West (who played Willie) wore a special water sports vest under his heavy costume. It acted like a car radiator, evenly distributing water across the upper body to cool him down. This method was recommended to West by John C. Reilly, who played Oliver Hardy in John S. Baird's biopic 'Stan & Ollie' (2018).
Wash Westmoreland wrote the script for this biographical drama back in 2001, but work on the project had to be postponed at the time.
During the historical period in which the film is set (late 19th – early 20th centuries), women in France were prohibited from wearing men's clothing. This explains the scandal caused by the protagonist's decision to start wearing trousers.
The film 'Colette' owes its existence to Richard Glazer, a screenwriter and friend of Wash Westmoreland, who was genuinely fascinated by the French writer Colette and her life. In 1999, Glazer read several books about Colette and considered bringing her story to the screen. When Westmoreland and Glazer came into the public spotlight—which happened after their 2014 drama 'Still Alice,' starring Julianne Moore, won the Oscar for Best Actress—they finally decided to begin work on 'Colette.' Unfortunately, Glazer was stricken with late-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—a neurological disease affecting the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary movement—and soon passed away.
The film "Colette" owes its existence to Richard Glatzer, a screenwriter and friend of Wash Westmoreland, who became genuinely interested in the French writer Colette and her life. In 1999, Glatzer read several books about Colette and began to consider adapting her story for the screen. When Westmoreland and Glatzer found themselves in the public eye – this happened when their 2014 drama "Still Alice," which they also wrote, starring Julianne Moore, won an Oscar for Best Actress – they decided to finally start working on "Colette." Unfortunately, Glatzer fell ill with late-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – a neurological disease that affects nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary movements – and soon passed away.
Filming on city streets took place in Paris, while scenes of the French countryside were shot in the counties of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. Due to a lack of budget to film the entire movie in Paris, filmmakers were also forced to shoot on the streets of Budapest and in the Origo studios soundstages.