“The wild days have just begun,” says Keira Knightley in a new trailer for “Colette.” The period drama is based on a true story and sees the two-time Oscar nominee playing Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, a young woman from rural France who marries a successful Parisian writer and moves to Paris. When Willy (Dominic West, “The Affair”) needs more output, he encourages his wife to tell her own stories as a ghostwriter. The resulting semi-autobiographical novel about a country girl named Claudine flies off the shelves — thanks to its popularity with female readers — and the bestseller causes a rift in Willy and Colette’s relationship.
Colette has given young girls a voice and is encouraged by a friend to own up to it. Willy, of course, wants his wife to stay silent so he can continue to get all of the credit for Claudine. “You found me when I knew nothing,” Colette tells him. “You molded me to your own desires. You thought that I could never break free. Well, you’re wrong.”
The trailer hints at a relationship between Colette and another woman, and her style evolves throughout the spot, which sees her cutting her hair and donning pants. “Colette’s fight over creative ownership and gender roles drives her to overcome societal constraints, revolutionizing literature, fashion, and sexual expression,” the pic’s official synopsis hints.
“Colette” premiered at Sundance in January with strong reviews and lots of awards buzz for Knightley, who previously scored Oscar nods for “Pride & Prejudice” and “The Imitation Game.” Her upcoming projects include Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” in which she’ll play the Sugar Plum Fairy, and “Official Secrets,” the story of a British whistleblower who leaked information about an illegal NSA spy operation.
Written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (“Ida”) and “Still Alice” collaborators Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, “Colette” opens in select theaters September 21. Check out the film’s trailer and poster below.
