DVD: Coco Before Chanel, For retail & rental, (Optimum)

Aka, "Coco Chanel: The Not Very Interesting Years". This French biopic focuses on Gabrielle Chanel (Audrey Tautou) when she was an aspiring cabaret singer who sponged off various sugar daddies, well before she achieved her legendary success.

It rolls along smoothly and tastefully, with as many carriages and country houses as an Austen adaptation. But considering its subject matter, there's precious little flair, and it relies on Tautou's performance for much of its depth and intensity.