Dvd
La Vie En Rose (La Môme)
Opening with her distressing last performance, where she collapses on stage, director Olivier Dahan backtracks to Piaf’s childhood in the muddy ruin of wartime Belleville. A virtual orphan, young Edith is discarded by her mother, taken in by prostitutes and then reclaimed by a father who ‘discovers’ her talent when she’s forced to sing for their supper. Before long, she’s picked up by a nightclub owner (Depardieu) and soon becomes a revered, international performer, albeit one whose success was tempered by a lifelong battle with drugs. [Source: NZ Film Festival]
Starring Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean-Paul Rouve, Gérard Depardieu
Directed by Olivier Dahan
Written by Olivier Dahan, Isabelle Sobelman
Festivals & Awards Best Actress (Cotillard) at the Academy Awards, BAFTAs and Golden Globes in 2008
Music, Drama, Biography | 2hr 20mins | Rated (M) | offensive language, sexual references | Origin: France, UK, Czech Rep | Language: French with English subtitles | Official Site »
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Flicks review
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I was hoping this film would suck so I could make the obvious jokes about regretting having seen it. Instead, after a slow start, it becomes compelling viewing showcasing an amazing performance, and legendary music.
4
At the best of times I'm wary of films where people undergo amazing physical transformations. Not only are they usually insulting in a kind of “watch as that mega star makes herself UGLY” way but they muddy the waters between performance and not eating carbs for a few months. Just watch The Biggest Loser and be done with it. Plus biopics are hard. There's no really good way to condense a lifetime into two hours. And the third strike is a music based film. The good ones are definitely few and far between.
So I wasn’t really preparing to enjoy this film. And initially, I didn’t. Tortured childhood stories are just a little boring. Even this one when she winds up in a brothel and a circus in quick succession is tiresome. We know she winds up okay- let’s see that part.
It’s this performance of Piaf as messed up adult which makes the film. Emmanuelle Seigner is another standout as “tart with a heart” Titine, who becomes obsessed with the young Edith in some kind of syphilitic frenzy. And for the adults, the Depardieu cameo is about a half hour in. And for the ladies the brooding Gallic hero shoes are very ably filled by Jean-Pierre Martins.
And the woman herself? The performance by Marion Cotillard is fantastic, amazing physical transformation and all. The music is amazing. And turns out, she wasn’t such a nice person. In fact, Edith Piaf is not someone you would want to hang out with. Her life is nothing if not tragic, and no-one she associates with comes out of it well. This fact is nicely un-glossed by the film, until a horribly ham fisted attempt to show a softer side that occurs towards the end.
So a slow start, and a mixed bag of techniques employed to deal to the peculiar constraints of a biopic. But an incredible story, inventively told.
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The people's reviews
12 reviews
Press Reviews
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Dominion Post [Graeme Tuckett]
4
1/2 This is one of the better biopics you'll see this or any year. The life of Edith Piaf was a sprawling melodrama of tragedy, heartbreak, and international triumph. La Vie En Rose is exactly the film her remarkable life demanded and deserved. The performances are uniformly excellent, but Marion Cotillard's lead is simply incredible. Go...
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NZ Herald [Francesca Rudkin]
4
A sad, moving and lengthy account of Piaf's life...
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The Christchurch Press [James Croot]
3
1/2 Rather than focusing on a specific time period, Dahan tries to cover her whole life, which while understandable given the level of incident in it, does lend the film an unfortunate, episodic quality. That's also not helped by Dahan's non-linear construction which has the film flitting back and forth in time, leaving the viewer often playing catch-up. Such annoyances aside, La Vie is a fascinating look at one of the world's most feted and ill-fated singers...
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TV3 [Kate Rodger]
4
Marion Cotillard is stunning...
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