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La
Vie en Rose
(2007)
La
Môme
This film tells the story of the remarkable life
of the celebrated French singer Edith Piaf, who was also
known as "The Little Sparrow", and achieved
international fame in the 1940s and 50s with songs
such as "Milord", "La Vie en Rose" and "Non, je ne
regrette rien." The film follows Piaf (Marion
Cotillard) from her difficult, poverty-stricken
childhood in Paris, as she starts to earn money by
singing on street corners, eventually attracting the
attention of nightclub owner Louis Leplée (Gérard
Depardieu), who hires her as a cabaret singer. Piaf
starts a long and controversial rise to the top of
international show business, while at the same time
battling with a tragic personal life, substance abuse
and failing health.
In many ways this film sticks to many of the popular
clichés of biographical films, especially ones about
artists, with their difficult relationships and
self-destructive behaviour. Edith Piaf is portrayed
as a phenomenally talented woman (the singing on the
film is all from recordings of Piaf because the
director, Olivier Dahan, said that he did not think
any other performer could match Piaf's distinctive
style) who nevertheless suffered from a truly
miserable life. In fact the film heaps misery upon
misery until it becomes at times quite a depressing
experience to sit through and your left wondering how
much she had to endure.
Piaf's life was certainly
eventful and some scenes seemed surprisingly rushed,
even for a film which lasts well over two hours, and
there are some surprising omissions; Piaf's
involvement with the French Resistance during World
War II not even being mentioned. Of course some omissions
are inevitable in biographical films, but it does
occasionally suffer from having characters appear and
disappear from the story without any explanation. The
film moves backwards and forwards in time, which
frequently works well, juxtaposing her childhood
poverty with the height of her fame, but occasionally
becomes irritating and confusing.
The acting is first
rate with Marion Cotillard astonishing the audience as Piaf,
managing a startling transformation. Her portrayal of
Piaf presents her as someone who possesses great
strength, determination and an iron will but is also
strikingly vulnerable. She is frequently extremely
unlikeable but rarely unsympathetic.
Despite the
film’s few flaws it tells an engaging and fascinating
story with some of the best acting you are likely to
see this year. The fact that the music is, of course, superb goes without saying.
-Robert
Foster
Other
Thoughts: Mark Moreland 
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All contents ©
2004-2009 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
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Director:
Olivier
Dahan
Writer: Olivier
Dahan & Isabelle Sobelman
Starring: Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean-Paul Rouve, Gérard Depardieu
Distributor: Picturehouse
Entertainment
Runtime: 140
min
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: June
8, 2007
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