Juliette Binoche plays iconic designer Coco Chanel, who ends up involved with the occupying Nazis during the occupation of France. Meanwhile, younger designer Christian Dior (Ben Mendelsohn) is struggling to remain neutral, while his sister (Maisie Williams) works for the resistance. This is sufficient plot to get started with this series. Many will be surprised or disappointed to discover that this isn’t as much about fashion as it is about the political issues they encountered. There are glimpses into their business and creative process, but it’s much more about their personal involvements. Fortunately, the performances are all compelling. Mendelsohn subtly creates a challenged brother and conflicted designer, while Binoche embraces Coco’s bold, sometimes irrational personality. John Malkovich and Emily Mortimer also add some interesting characters. The story is dragged out and takes too long to follow all of the varied plots. There are compelling sequences and it’s a fascinating history (some of which has been left out), but more fashion and less strife would make the series more appealing. (10 one-hour eps) 
(2.5 / 5)
