Yes I know it’s been out since 2009…..

But Chanel‘s Train de Nuit, a sleek, sexy and sophisticated short film to promote No 5 , is stirring my senses again among the fragrance ads battling it out for our attentions in the run up to Christmas (and yes, it has quite a lot to do with model Travis Davenport. Oh, and Audrey Tatou is quite good too (she also played a young Chanel in the biopic, Coco avant Chanel, I HEART).

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet – the ad follows on from the 2005 Baz Luhrmann-directed commercial which starred Nicole Kidman as a movie icon who flees from the eyes of the world to live a boho existence.

In the Jeunet directed film (he also worked with Tatou on Amélie), the actress (clad in Chanel, natch), writhes around in bed on board the Paris-Istanbul Orient Express, looking stunning (as we all do when we’re travelling on a sleeper….obviously) after falling for a dark, handsome stranger she exchanges glances with outside her room.

But rather than slipping into his cabin, she waits for him to make a move but (darn it), he’s a gent and they end up missing out on love….

Until that is, she catches a glimpse of Mr Handsome on a Turkish sailing boat and after a few more seconds of Billie Holiday‘s “I’m a Fool to Want You”, he finally sweeps her up in his arms at Istanbul station. And we all said awww and why can’t that happen to us.

The ad finishes with the pair embracing on a mosaic floor featuring the iconic “Double C” Chanel logo.

So why am I waffling on about it you may well ask?

Well, because 1) I like it more than the Nicole Kidman ad, which was enchanting and captivating and all sorts of evocative….until Kidman did the bit where she donned a pink boa, did a high-kick and said “I love to dance”..and we all cringed a bit.

And 2) because this ad featuring Tatou oozes class and romance and reminds me just how much I adore Paris, Chanel….and being swept off my feet (preferably by Mr Handsome).

The End.

Follow Kate @katelawson_