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3/3/2008
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La Vie en Rose (2007)
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Olivier Dahan’s film charts the tumultuous life of French singing sensation Edith Piaf. The film flits around in non-chronological segments, taking in Piaf’s childhood living in a brothel, her first break, her love affair with a married man, her illness-plagued later years, and her death at 48 from liver cancer.
Throughout her life, whether as naïve young girl or ailing older woman, Piaf’s ability to capture an audience with her distinctive voice and openness as a performer remained constant, and the film is in some ways a fitting tribute and, in others, a frustratingly sketchy portrayal of a complex character. Dahan’s attempts to include all the major events in Piaf’s life, including her early experiences and influences, means that sections of her story feel brief and undeveloped. The film’s tendency to switch back and forth between time periods does nothing to remedy this, and bizarrely, one particularly important incident is only revealed in flashback towards the end. On the other hand, Piaf’s life was so full of interesting details – of incredible highs and tragic lows – that to fully cover every aspect would be impossible, and the depiction of Piaf herself is both sympathetic and multifaceted.
Of course, the success of the film depends on the central performance, and as Edith Piaf, Marion Cotillard is remarkable – as convincing as a shy young woman as she is as a glamorous diva and frail invalid. The 32-year-old throws herself into the part with complete conviction and an utter lack of vanity, fully deserving of her Best Actress Oscar (only the second actress to win for a foreign-language film). Although flawed, La Vie en Rose is frequently moving, never less than watchable, and certainly worth catching for Cotillard’s beautiful performance.
Review by Catherine Leopold
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