Suzy Menkes: "'Coco avant Chanel' is a pleasant gallop through the well-known story and [Audrey] Tautou turns in a star performance of moods from truculence to the delirium of love. Yet you can’t help feeling that the most interesting thing about Mademoiselle was her personal vision and the way that her steely elegance was reflected in her taste and style. But the inner workings of a creative mind do not make such a pretty film as pastoral parties and ladies in inflated hats." [NYT]