Colette (2018), directed by Wash Westmoreland

Naïve country girl Gabrielle Sidonie Colette has been brought up to be a free spirit by tolerant and loving parents. This captivates a much older man, worldly and sophisticated Willy, who runs a literary ‘factory’ in Paris. He commissions young unknown writers and publishes under his name, reaping the spoils of their success and rarely paying them on time as his extravagant habits always exceed his income. His young wife blossoms in bohemian turn-of-the century Paris and willingly joins his factory to support their lifestyle. But young girls grow up and as Colette finds her voice she comes to resent Willy’s betrayals, manipulation and exploitation. Keira Knightly is very good in the title role, while Dominic West complements her well as Willy, in what is a pretty familiar character for him. The story demonstrates that fluid sexuality and gender roles are not a recent phenomenon, with Denise Gough convincing in the role of Missy, Colette’s transgender lover. In a nice finishing touch, photographs at the end illustrate how Colette’s life played out as a bestselling author and the most successful female French novelist.