You don’t have to be a fashionista to enjoy Coco Before Chanel.

Personally, all I knew about Chanel before this film was that she made some fantastic dresses back in the day, and that I’ve spotted many women wearing cheap knock-offs of her bags.

A pop icon, a fashion legend, and quoted in many a fashion bloggers' Facebook profile – Coco Chanel was a fiercely independent, driven, creative woman.

I didn’t really know what to expect from this film. As I’m not overly familiar with her clothes, or her personal story (other than what’s been in the press leading up to the film) Coco Chanel was a bit of a mystery to me.

And now, after seeing this film, I see her as someone to admire.

While I’m personally unsure of how accurate the film is to Coco Chanels’ life (I’ve read that the various fact is skipped or altered), what’s always clear is that Coco Chanel was an outlier, and spent her life breaking tradition.

From her childhood through the time she spent living with French playboy and millionaire  Étienne Balsan, Coco was always on the outside.

While the women Balsan knew were adorned in lung-squeezing corsets and feathered hats the size of small countries, Coco was seen as masculine - her clothes loose fitting, comfortable, yet full of simple elegance.

While she was endearing to Balsan’s crew, fit in she did not. This was largely due to her insistence upon working, rather than marrying a rich man, as she saw working and making her own money as the key to freedom and happiness.  

The way the film was shot was absolutely brilliant, and was filled with so many picturesque moments of Chanel sticking out like a sore (brown and black) thumb amongst the bedazzled and laced well-to-do women of France.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the film was the way director and co-writer Anne Fontaine depicted moments of Coco eyeing-up inspiration for her next outfit.

Whether it was pearl earrings worn by a woman at a horse race, or the shirts the fisherman wore in Deauville, the camera subtly focused on something for just a second longer than it should, indicating that something in Coco had clicked. It was subtle, but crystal clear, and made the audience feel as if we could practically see a light bulb appearing over Coco’s perfectly brushed head.

It’s the subtlety in the details that makes this film great – which, of course, is what Chanel is all about.

While her success and worth grew throughout the film , the heartbreak, loneliness and drive that Coco possessed was present from start to finish. The hardship Coco faced was so apparent, in fact, that in a scene with her lover Arthur “Boy” Capel when Coco bursts into laughter, you’re almost shocked to hear such an emotional noise coming from her.

It’s also incredibly surprising in the film when you see Coco cry. (Which, notably, only happens once.)

Always put together, always fighting, and always fearless – Coco is definitely one of the most inspriing women of the century.

Although far from perfect, no one can argue with Coco’s success. Just as I highly doubt anyone would be able to argue about the quality of this film, which is, naturally, superb.