La Vie En Rose

Beautiful film, thoughtfully structured. Normally multiple flashbacks are a huge red flag, but in this case it works. Ms. Cotillard is astonishing, downplaying her own beauty and disappearing into Piaf. The shoot must have been physically and psychically brutal. The only flaws with the story are not the film makers' particular fault. One, Piaf has no arc (outside of her career). She was a reactive person by nature and remained so through-out her life. They try to give her a sense of peace and reflection in a scene on a California beach but it is one of the few scenes that rings hollow. The other (minor) issue is obviously this is a French film and the makers tend to assume that a French audience will mostly know the (tragic) beats of her story, such is her status in the pantheon. For an American audience, however, this is problematic. Piaf's daughter is introduced by her childhood death by meningitis. It is horrible, but less horrible than it might have been had we known she even had a daughter by a husband we had just met. Also WW2 is skipped over with one throw away scene where she meets a soldier leaving for the front. Her affair with Cerdan, however, is wonderfully done, handled with both substance and great delicacy. His death tears your heart out - even if you know it is coming. The actor who plays Cerdan is credible as both the man and the boxer. I'm sure most Americans don't know France ever had a serious boxer, much less a world champion, but it is true. A fine, fine portrayal. Finally, the music. I am no musicologist so I am not going to comment on that, but her performances and songs will outlive all of us, and the film is both generous and clever in handling the music. This is what they used to call a twenty hankie movie, and it is all of that. Preparez vos mouchoirs, as they say. A couple of interesting points: Claude Lelouch made 'Edith and Marcel' in '83 casting Cerdan's real son as his father. I'm not going to comment until I can go back and screen it again, it's been too many years, but it is probably worth digging up. Finally, a film about Cerdan starring Patrick Dewaere was in production when Dewaere committed suicide, the awful loss of a wonderful young actor.

I had to go back and see this film a second time in order to be certain that I had seen the performance that I had seen. Marianne Cotillard (sp?), who is actually very beautiful and somewhat tall and thin, WAS Edith Piaf in this film. Whoever Edith Piaf was. And therein lies a tale, because there are so many contradictory stories about her, including those from her, from her so-called "sister", from friends, from reviewers. I had to go and read all of the bios that I could find about Piaf, and it was amazing how different they all were. Even Edith herself wrote two different auto-bios and they were quite different from each other. But the movie draws you in and claims you for the entirety of the film. And there is no question it is due to the performance. The film itself is not great, but the performance is breathtaking. I have now seen it three times and have, of course, pre-ordered the DVD. But for those who love film, who love actors, who love brilliance, I strongly recommend that they sit back and enjoy this unusual, wonderful, inhabited performance. Jan Schulman

Prior to seeing "La Vie En Rose" my only frame of reference of Edith Piaf was in a scene in "Saving Private Ryan" where the soldiers in repose were playing a record of hers. Musical biograghy is a tricky proposition that if done improperly can border on the cliched. Director Olivier Dahan's film has an interesting structure. Though told in mostly linear fashion he ingeniously uses jumps in time to comment on the action. What I also liked about this disc is it eschewed subtitles for the songs. Even if you don't know a lick of French you don't need a translation to feel the power of the songs. Marion Cotillard deservedly won an Oscar for her portrait of a woman who despite personal trials and tribulations held her head high and perservered through her music. Cotillard is masterful in her transformation from a young girl to a middle-aged woman who, through debilitating infirmity, has to trudge through life yet still maintain her dignity. The film's make-up people won an Oscar and deservedly so. That said, I think Cotillard could have suggested the required physical transformations of Piaf without the use of prosthetics. This is a great film and one of the best of 2007.

Inspiring and fast moving storyline with incredibly good acting. You will love it if you watch this movie.

It seems contradictory to praise a film for its star's performance while faulting it for overly busy, manipulative editing. In the hands of a clever filmmaker-editor-scriptwriter, most of us could come off looking reasonably competent. But as will be clear even to those unfamiliar with Edith Piaf's life or music, Marion Cotillard gives perhaps the most impressive performance of the new millennium in the role of "The Little Sparrow." Somehow she manages to stay a cut ahead of Olivier Dahan's overly slick and clever movie with her mercurial changes--one moment mousey and woebegone, the next an out-of-control feral cat on the attack; a Tomboyish and modest international star one moment, a demanding and self-destructive diva the next; a weathered and withered little scarecrow one instant, a noble and courageous heroine the next. Her body and facial language are equally expressive--both telling us the story of Edith Piaf less through script than sheer rhetoric of character. Nevertheless, I'd recommend the viewer read a brief account of Edith Piaf's life (Wickipedia is pretty good) before watching the film. Besides moving his camera all over the place and violating temporal-spatial conventions, writer-director Dahan tends to embed flashbacks within flashbacks, requiring the viewer to keep four or more time periods simultaneously in mind, and he frequently cuts to a character about whose identity (in some cases, "reality") we remain clueless until much later in the sequence. Better to get the plot-story business out of the way lest it distract from Cotillard's extraordinary accomplishment. Unfortunately, there's another reason to do a quick prep on Piaf's life and career before viewing film. Like the vast majority of biopics about musicians (Billie Holiday, Cole Porter, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon immediately come to mind), the film fails not only to show us why Piaf's talent was so special but to showcase the songs in a manner that ensures they will be remembered and discovered by a new generation of listeners. The director appears to assume that, like "La Vie en Rose," every viewer will automatically respond to the strains of "Hymn l'Amour" and "Je Ne Regrette Rien." Perhaps like a majority of the movie-going public, the filmmaker has little interest in, let alone knowledge about, Piaf's music. His Piaf, despite any testimony to the contrary, lives not solely for her art but for love. Numerous musicians have made sacrifices and paid prices similar to Piaf's--but it was for the music. Great artists have to be willing to die for their art, but that's not the message of this script. Fortunately, Cotillard's Piaf emerges as far more than another tragic heroine or sensationalized story about the fall of a star. But why are we so attracted to a figure who from the start is so undeniably unattractive? That's the question we continually ask ourselves, even as the resonance and magnetism of her character lead us ever closer to the only place we're likely to find an answer--her art. The next move must be the spectator's.

My French tutor recommended this movie for me. The initial intent, was to allow my ear to start hearing more French, and to pick up on French words. However, even in French with English subtitles, this movie was amazing! The story was incredible. I have never heard of Edith pilaf before my French teacher shared this. Truly amazing woman and story. The actress, Marion Cotillard was breathtaking. It is completely understandable why she did, and should have won the Oscar for this movie. Le film, c’est magnifique. Marion Cotillard est une très grande actrice.

Weather you know or love Piaf you simply must see this movie. Cotillard is nothing short of brilliant owning the role of a lifetime. The movie is long but addicting and I couldnt' stop wathcing. Creative and well paced as well as beautifully directed. It is not easy to make a film or play the lead role of what amounts to a French Saint; but this movie delivers. I cannot imagine anyone saying anything but bravo for this beautiful, haunting inspiring and ultimately stunning tribute to one of the Frances' greatest artistic legends. Cotillard is both stunning and scary in her portrayal as she is so one with the character. The color and scenic work is done just as well and the sound and music are seemless. And not to forget the supporting cast who are at time a bit mannered but never boring or out of place just actors playing the French artists crowd. The liberties taken to make the story flow work;just work for this film. The young Piaf is wonderfully acted as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and to end on or near her singing "Her Song" No regrets , had me standing. Was Piaf perfect? Was she a survivor? Yes!! And thank goodness she was. Her singing sets the soul on fire and what errors she might have made in the eyes of those who see life in the political sense only, fall by the wayside with this woman's deeply personal journey and survival and her gift of sharing that with Her audience.

Well I couldn't find anything else to watch and decided what the heck. Since I know some French I would give it a try and see what it was about. I was familiar with the lead actress from other movies but had no idea just how truly amazingly outstanding she was in her portrayal! This is not only a MUST SEE but it's also a MUST OWN! If you were not a fan before you will be one after watching this. Sad ending but truly amazing acting on the lead actresses part!