Colette (Keira Knightley), one of France’s most famous authors, had a life extensive and fascinating enough to span any of the Game of Thrones boxsets. This origin story sees her transform from a young obedient wife, to the independent and mononymous Colette.

The broad strokes of her early life are well known to the author’s fans. Colette moves from the provincial countryside of France to join her husband Willy (played with relish by Dominic West) on the Parisian Salon scene. Willy runs a Warholian-style factory, employing young writers to churn out literary works. So, when he notices his wife’s flair for writing, he quickly encourages her to pen a book based on her school days, which he then publishes under his own name.

The result, Claudine à l’école, becomes the most popular book of 1900 France.

Colette is a pacey period drama with thoroughly modern themes