La Vie en Rose
Monday, 25 Jun 2007 16:26
La Vie en Rose – a tumultuous life
Directed by Olivier Dahan, out now in cinemas, starring Marion Cotillard, Gerard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Martins, Pascal Greggory, running time 140 minutes.
In a nutshell
Passionate, poignant, musical, grim, French.
What's it all about
La Vie en Rose is the biopic of the legendary French singer Edith Piaf (Cotillard). The daughter of a singer mother, Anetta, and circus performer father, Louis, a young Edith is accustomed to the seedy underworld of Belleville, Paris from birth. Both parents are caught up with pursuing their careers therefore Louis takes his young daughter to his mother, who runs a brothel. Edith's grandmother takes good care of her and the prostitutes dote on her. Louis returns from the war and he takes Edith and his contortionist act to the streets of Paris, where his daughter learns to sing for money. As she grows up, Piaf becomes determined to become a true 'artiste'. She is discovered by Louis Leplee (Depardieu), who renames her La Mome Piaf (the little sparrow) because of her diminutive frame. Fame and fortune soon beckon and along the line, Piaf finds and loses the love of her life, suffers a devastating car crash, an addiction to morphine, severe arthritis and several other personal tragedies. Piaf eventually dies aged 47, though she looks far older, having lived an entire lifetime in such a short period.
Who's in it?
Naturally for a biopic, there is only one true star. Marion Cotillard shines far brighter than her role as the pin-up in the Taxi films would ever suggest she could. Her physical transformation during the course of the film is formidable. Her large eyes and nervous smile as a 20-something Piaf are as bewitching as her haggard, stooping stance at the end of her life.
But far more impressive is 31-year-old Cotillard's ability to apparently understand and capture the colossal pain and passion of a woman who encountered far more in her short existence than the vast majority of people would ever experience in a lifetime. Cotillard's Piaf is at once gentle and naïve, trusting and timid, yet at the same time fiery, passionate, determined and demanding.
Throughout all of the many chapters in Piaf's life, however, Cotillard predominantly captures her vulnerability. She manages to encapsulate the true spirit of a time when music really spoke about life and when there was a powerful element of risk involved with being an artist.
As an example
Hospital doctor: "You're playing with your life."
Piaf: "So? You have to play with something."
Marlene Dietrich (to Piaf after hearing her sing in New York): "Your voice is the soul of Paris."
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
Given Cotillard's breathtaking performance, she stands a good chance of being in the running.
What the others say
"Marion Cotillard's majestic, uncannily accurate portrayal is the main reason to see a film that makes heavy going of an exceptional life. For all Dahan's lofty ambitions, you leave wishing he'd chosen a more straightforward way to retell Piaf's story." – Total Film.
"If that's not a movie, I don't know what is. A must-see." – Johnny Vaughan, The Sun.
So is it any good
A life as fraught with drama as Piaf's was bound to inspire biopics. The trouble any film-maker would face would be how to fit so much into one film. At two and a half hours, La Vie en Rose does seem a little long and also lacks cohesion due to its temporal structure. We start off in 1959 before we are taken back to 1918, then to 1947 before it is 1919 again and then 1960. This jumping back and forth through time continues throughout the film and it is a little confusing as well as irritating. Moreover, there are several loose ends left unresolved regarding the departures of some characters and a few important incidents, which leaves the viewer frustrated.
However, despite these minor short-comings, the film is a triumph, one of its greatest assets being objectivity. Piaf is certainly not portrayed as a saint and her many negative characteristics are also brought out. Nevertheless, she is hugely loveable and a magnetic personality. The film is packed full of engaging, human moments such as when a soldier brings Piaf a song telling her he must go to the front the following day and, after hearing two lines of it, she instructs her agent that she must have it for her performance that night. Cotillard's stellar turn in the lead role is supported by an excellent supporting cast while the bohemian set, fluid camera movements and of course, a sensational sound-track make La Vie en Rose a thoroughly rewarding viewing experience.
7.5/10
Natasha Hegde
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