Haute Coco

Editor’s note: Travelers taking Thai Airways this month get to enjoy more than just excellent food, superb service and a smooth ride to their destination. They are also treated to the latest and hottest movies.

Now showing on Thai Airways is Coco Avant Chanel, a biopic on the French designer who revolutionized fashion wih her fearless ideas.

Here is an interview with French actress Audrey Tautou, as featured in Vision, Thai Airways’ inflight information guide, where she appears on the cover:

MANILA, Philippines - Audrey Tautou grew up in Montlucon in central France and has always had a fascination with Coco Chanel, so it is fitting to see her play the role of iconic designer in her latest film.

The past 10 or so years have seen a lot of changes in Tautou’s career. In 1999, she won the Best New Actress award at the César Awards, France’s national film awards, for the lead role in Venus Beaute (Institut). In 2001, her movie Amelie was nominated for five Oscars and brought her international recognition, despite the fact she was mainly starring in French films. Her first English film was director Stephen Frears’ 2002 release, Dirty Pretty Things. In 2006, she starred in The Da Vinci Code as Agent Sophie Neveu alongside Tom Hanks. Now playing the lead in Coco Avant Chanel, she has proved herself to be an extremely sophisticated actress and a talent to reckon with.

Playing Coco Chanel must be up there with one of the best roles of your career.

Maybe because she is the best woman I have ever played.

Personally, I didn’t know so much about the story of Coco Chanel. This film teaches you so much.

That is the reason why I was so interested in this period of her life. It is most surprising when you find out that she didn’t want to become a stylist. All the epic moments of her life were so real. She was a heroine. She’s a brilliant woman and very complex. She’s a mix of doubt, determination and cleverness, with humor and strength. What was interesting about her destiny was that it was very fragile — eventually she managed to get what she wanted, which was to become somebody.

I can’t think of any other actress who could play Coco in the film.

I have no idea (laughs). It is not my business to say. But I really did enjoy playing her. I tried to be as close to her as I could, especially to her weaknesses. I am very impressed by her single-mindedness and the brave character she had. She had to impose who she was and to fight, not only to be a woman, but a woman that has the same freedom as a man.

What similarities do you have?

I don’t think she liked weak women, and I don’t think I am weak. I can be frightened and sometimes fragile. I can also be sensitive, but I am not a weak woman. I have enough character to bounce back from disappointment.

And you both have a great sense of style.

(Laughs) I am not sure if she would like my clothes. She really tried to make women’s personalities colorful though her clothes. But she didn’t want women to be an object of decoration. She was very determined that a woman could dress in a clever way and not as a second-class citizen to a man. So I think style is an expression of your personality, and it reveals so many things about people. Her style is so modern. Her values were deep and elegant.

So would you say you were a Chanel girl?

Yes, of course. But I think even more now, because I know what is behind the style. I was hoping to be given a lot more Chanel clothing after the movie, but it hasn’t happened. Maybe I should write them?

Do you know what Coco’s family think about the movie?

No, I don’t, but Edmonde Charles-Roux wrote Chanel’s biography and spent five years researching her life, and she said Chanel was a very good liar. So it was very difficult to find out the truth about her. I met the author and she said she really enjoyed the movie and it had the quality of Chanel’s style.

Coco was famous for being a smoker — she sometimes got through 50 in a day. Are you a smoker, or were the cigarettes you smoked on screen herbal?

I am a smoker, but much less than her. After the movie, I was almost as bad as her. Sometimes it is very hard when you have to smoke a lot for a film. And your breath does smell.

You have starred in some great movies, including Amelie and The Da Vinci Code. How do you choose your movies?

I do star in some very bad movies. Luckily for me, they are never given that much exposure. I am lucky that I have chosen some great roles and have worked with really talented people. When I choose a story, I believe in it, but sometimes it is a mistake. I am very attracted to clever projects with directors who have a personal vision and personal touch. I don’t want to just make movies for no reason.

Are you interested in awards?

I am not looking for them, but it is very reassuring when people like your work. Although I was very proud when Amelie was nominated for an Oscar, it is not my main interest; it’s more like the cherry on a cake. The most important thing is to please the audience.

— Reprinted from VISION,

THAI AIRWAYS’ inflight guide

DID YOU KNOW:

• Audrey Tautou has replaced Nicole Kidman as the face of Chanel No. 5. Other Chanel No. 5 muses were Marilyn Monroe and Catherine Deneuve.

• Her film idols are Meryl Streep, Juliette Lewis, Jodie Foster, and Julianne Moore.

• She takes pictures of all of her interviewers and puts them in a scrapbook.

• She was late for the auditions of Venus Beaute (Institut), and began crying when she was told that she couldn’t audition.