★★★★

Colette is the latest addition to Keira Knightley's repertoire of period pieces, and it's a good one. Its quick pace keeps it engaging throughout its entirety, and Keira Knightley shines as Colette (giving a particularly Oscar-worthy performance at the end of the film). Colette's character development is a fascinating one to watch, as she works through defying gender conventions in her performance and writing, as well as in her own relationships. The film tackles the power dynamics that Colette is often subject to due to toxic masculinity, and it is largely in exploring her sexuality that she begins to realize she does not have to remain a victim of circumstance forever. Despite taking place in the late nineteenth century, this movie is culturally self-aware in a sense that will translate well to contemporary viewers.