Colette recreates the life of the great French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, played by Keira Knightley, with the focus on her artistic and sexual awakening.
Based on real events, the other cornerstone of the cast is Dominic West, who embodies Willy, Colette’s abusive husband who steals the authorship of her first written works.
Of course, West is not precisely an actor who refuses to play a character that is not the nice guy. And he said yes immediately to be the exploiter and manipulator, but at the same time terribly charming, the first husband of one of France's most beloved artists.
Willy’s charm
"Most people do not know who the hell Willy was, but those who do, know that he had a pretty familiar silhouette. He was bald, with a beard and a hat, and very fat. So I do not know why they thought of me: young, slender, athletic ... " West laughs at the press.
Willy is, says West, "the villain of the film." "Something that does not take away his incredible ingenuity, his being nice, so it ends up being a very good company", he finishes by talking about his character.