2024 ended with two long haul flights from the US to India. That meant several movies to bide the endless hours across the ponds and continents. As you unwind from the holiday season, curl up with your device and enjoy these movies.
“Coco Before Chanel” is the story of the designer before she became famous. Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel’s early years were hard to watch. Her father abandoned her at an orphanage upon the passing of her mother. It seemed like time at the orphanage allowed her to become self reliant and avoid the vortex of norms. In adulthood, she was turned off by the ornate clothes and hats women wore back then, full of flowers and feathers. She chose to dress down, looking austere next to her peers. She defied expectations and changed the way women dressed and ushered the timeless look we still see from the brand. Starting as a hat maker, she carefully curated a clientele of influential women and did not rest until she made her mark in Paris. By 1909, Chanel was one of the most coveted fashion houses. Her determination to succeed at a time when women were not at the helm of corporations is inspiring.
“Back to Black” is the story of Amy Winehouse. I am somewhat familiar with her music but don’t call myself an expert. Her story was not unexpected based on what I’ve read in the media. Winehouse’s talent was just as enormous as the depth of her troubles. Addicted to drugs and alcohol and caught between fame and mental health challenges, she spiraled out of control even as she gained worldwide recognition including a record five Grammys in 2008. The toxic mixture of her personality, addictions, and eccentricity contributed to her unraveling and eventual death. In her young life, she channeled her relationship grief into Back to Black one of the best selling albums of all time. Despite pursuing her dreams relentlessly, she couldn’t overcome the genetic wiring to self destruct,
”Widow Clicquot” is the story of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, one of the top winemakers in the history of winemaking. Yes, history. In the early 1800s she inherited a vineyard after her young husband passed away. She was barely 27. As the first woman winemaker, she was dismissed as ignorant by a cabal of men - including Moët - who tried their best to eject her from business by attempting to buy her out. Their efforts intensified after her eponymous brand - Veuve Clicqout, veuve meaning widow - found unprecedented success. With incredible courage she stood her ground and ran the business until her death at age 88.
She pioneered several techniques in wine making that are still used. Some of the vintages she produced are considered to be all-time bests. Here’s a woman who could have crumbled after her husband’s death and in the face of all the obstacles that her ecosystem threw at her. Instead she turned her grief into resilience, her nascent knowledge of wine making into innovations that have stood the test of time and turned political challenges from Napoleon's time to her advantage with incredibly risky business decisions that paid off handsomely.
These three women had an innate ability to channel their grief into creativity and that is what made watching the movies particularly interesting. I couldn’t have chanced on a better way to start the new year. We landed in India 15 minutes into 2025, cautioned by Amy and energized by Coco and Barbe-Nicole.
Next time you have Veuve Clicquot, give a shoutout to the Grand Dame of Champagne.
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