Review of La Vie en Rose (2007) by Kate M — 06 Jan 2010

Really powerful and moving drama which is elegantly and emotionally put together to guarantee the biggest impact! It made me want to watch a flurry of French films afterwards!

Not knowing anything about Edith Piaf (even though I have visited her grave!) the film isn't brilliant at making the story and the characters accessible to an ignorant audience - I did get confused as to who was who at times, and the film relies a lot on previous knowledge and implication (for instance, the man whom Edith is working for at the beginning of her career who is later murdered is a prominent mobster). But the central character played by an astonishingly brilliant Marion Cotillard (she really deserved the Oscar for this!) is captivating to watch: so enarmoured, fiery and passionate in her youth, and then later flitting between the erraticness of depression and a sanctuary of snatched happiness. I had to double check that it's definitely Cotillard who plays the aging Piaf, she looks completely unrecognisable under all that make-up! She is tremendous throughout, and really captures every stage of the singer's life.

The romance between Piaf and Marcel though brief is extremely convincing and moving to watch, and the scene where she learns of his death is genuinely upsetting for its heightened sense of tragedy (akin to the emotional surge of Fanny in Bright Star). Definitely one of the best scenes, as is the final one which is aptly chosen as her performance of non, je ne regrette rien.

I did find the flitting between the different years of her life - present, future, near future, present, near future, future, etc - a bit disorientating, even though the scene was always dated. I understood why they did it, but for me it was a little distracting and served no higher purpose.

Even if biogs aren't your thing - and they're certainly not mine - this is a remarkable woman with a remarkable story to tell, and Marion Cotillard is simply wonderful in it.