Period bio-epics about strong women breaking through ceilings of glass and chauvinism are becoming so popular that we’re going to run out of heroines soon.

Earlier in the year we had Julia Childs, two weeks ago we has Amelia Earhart, and this week we have Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Who’s next? Rachel Ray and her journey to invent edible crayons? Hannah Montana’s battle against Dissociative Identity Disorder?

I’m not slighting Chanel, the haute couture and cosmetics queen remembered more as a brand than a person. “Coco Before Chanel” (or “Coco avent Chanel”) is a poignant effort to put a face on the perfume, hats and impeccably designed jackets.

Set in turn-of-the-century France, it’s a romance meets comedy of manners. Played by “The Da Vinci Code’s” Audrey Tatou, Chanel appears on the screen as an orphan - and not the happy, go-lucky Annie type. But we do spy her singing in the next scenes, as a shy yet whip-smart woman who works as a seamstress during the day and moonlights as a performer in smoky clubs alongside sister Adrienne (Marie Gillain). One of their silly songs is called “Coco” – hence the nickname – and it’s just enough to draw the interest of some bigwig barons. Adrienne is immediately smitten with the philandering upper crust, but it takes a little longer for the self-assured Coco to relent and enter the world of rich French dudes, their endless concubines and impromptu polo matches.

“Coco Before Chanel” then traces Chanel’s inner struggles as she reluctantly chases one of her baron lovers to his cavernous mansion in the French countryside. Does she choose a trophy wife life of indulgence with Balsan (Benoit Poelvoorde)? Does she take off with mysterious, mustachioed British bachelor No. 2 (Alesandro Nivola)? Or does she hole herself up in a shanty and spend her days sewing her masculine-inspired threads and bold hats, which are increasingly popular with the cliquey housewives.

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Despite the predictable scenes of Chanel’s social blunders and jealousy-fueled alienation from frou-frou, high-society types, the movie feels fresh for a period piece. The acting is fluid, the 100-year-old zingers still have bite, and sometimes it’s nice to know that people with nothing to their name except a needle and thread can get to the top without reality show paychecks or famous folks.

Heck, maybe I liked “Coco Before Chanel” because unlike the sky-high failure “Amelia,” it’s a more intimate, telling portrait of a woman most people previously knew as a handbag. Considering the indie spirit and modest budget of the French subtitled flick, that handbag won’t be stuffed with box office booty. But at least its starring heroine doesn’t have to haunt filmmakers from beyond the grave.

"Coco Before Chanel," with a running time of 105 minutes, is rated PG-13. Mike give the movie 3 out of 4 stars.

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