I apologise, we feel bad, but there's no trailer available. ~Ed.
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.
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.
Has to be the best movie in years, but oh, what a story it has to tell. She was a legend, and it must not be easy to act a legend, but Marion Cotillard was made for the role. She was La vie en Rose. The flashbacking aspect took a little getting used to, but was the way to go.
A well-intentioned biography of the mercurial Edith Piaf, with a superb lead performance by Cotilliard, but it falls short of any real insight into the woman herself having been distracted by the actions around her most of the time. The music is great and recreated well, and Depardieu makes a short but telling cameo.
this is why the french now have a social welfare system
Marion Cotillard was magnificent in this movie. She portrayed Edith Piaff in such an intense way that I felt I was watching Edith Piaff. Marion captured her spirit and her physical being. I had hoped that Marion would be awarded Best Actress Oscar, and I cried when she received it.
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...
A sad, moving and lengthy account of Piaf's life...
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...
Marion Cotillard is stunning...
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 4th Oct 2007.
Release date: October 4th 2007.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
