Each scene in “Coco Before Chanel” gives audiences a glimpse into the mind of a genius by putting a face on one of the world’s most famous fashion designers.

“Coco Before Chanel,” loosely based on the book “L’irrégulière” by Edmonde Charles-Roux, chronicles the life of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (Audrey Tautou) in the years leading up to her big break in the fashion world. The film recounts Chanel’s life from her meager start to her time living with Baron Étienne Balsan, who christened her “Coco” and helped launch her into society. Chanel began making hats for Balsan’s wealthy friends, gaining access to aristocratic French society.

The film takes the simple story of Chanel and turns it into a feature on her time at Balsan’s castle. For some movies this could prove to be problematic, but “Coco Before Chanel” handles it with ease by focusing more on Chanel’s interactions with the people in the castle rather than just on the setting. There are few moments when the audience can get bored with the seemingly plain landscape.

Using the French countryside as its backdrop, the film draws the audience in with views of green fields and vast castles. Director Anne Fontaine captures the countryside of Chanel’s homeland in the early 1900s flawlessly, showing the time Chanel spent at Balsan’s castle with sweeping shots of the colossal castle complemented by Chanel, dressed to perfection in the time of corsets and oversized hats. The film clearly exemplifies the growing taste of Chanel, who would commonly take men’s shirts to make dresses. She kept her style sleek and classic, which gave her label the reputation it still holds today.

Tautou could not have been better suited to play Chanel. A talented actress made famous for her role in the film “Amelie,” Tautou perfectly personifies Chanel’s no-nonsense ideal. She captures her sardonic, biting attitude and even closely resembles her, something audiences might not find in most biopics.

Benoît Poelvoorde’s quick-witted Balsan is well suited to Tautou’s almost snarky Chanel. The two make for a great pairing throughout the film. Evident in the way he behaves, it is obvious that Balsan cares about Chanel in a way he would like to avoid, in order to keep his playboy status. Praise must also be given to Alessandro Nivola as Arthur “Boy” Capel, the suave, handsome Brit who sweeps in to throw everything out of order. He is charming and lovable, and the audience cannot help but root for the possible love between him and Chanel. Emmanuelle Devos’ performance as the cheeky, over-the-top Emilienne d’Alençon — the first person to befriend Chanel at the castle — is also noteworthy.

While the film is beautifully done, complemented by a gorgeous score by Alexandre Desplat, it does have a few flaws. The end, leading up to the rise of the empire, feels a bit rushed. Much of the movie is organic and free flowing, almost documentarylike, but the ending jumps a bit too quickly to her rise to fame. Other parts of the film seem to plod along a bit too slowly. It leaves the audience waiting for something monumental to happen, but big moments never come to light. The complexity of Chanel herself seems to outweigh these problems with the film, allowing the audience to understand the bigger picture: the dynasty of Chanel and the simple life that led to it.

“Coco Before Chanel” was written and directed by Anne Fontaine.