Film: La Vie En Rose
Release date: 13th October 2008
Certificate: 12
Running time: 135 mins
Director: Olivier Dahan
Starring: Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean-Paul Rouve
Genre: Biography/Drama
Studio: Icon
Format: DVD
Country: France/UK/Czech Republic
A film that earned foreign cinema its first (eagerly awaited) Oscar win for a performance since Sophia Loren in La Ciociara (1961), La Vie En Rose has always been something of a talking point amongst fans of French cinema. A difficult subject to tackle, and one that is close to France’s hearts.
A rags-to-riches biopic about the turbulent life of Edith Piaf (Marion Cotillard), the film possesses a non-linear narrative in which we, the audience, experience Piaf’s life through her memories. The majority of these are primarily focused upon her lonely childhood (young Edith played by Pauline Burlet), in which she is abandoned by her busking mother and her soldier-turned-acrobat father who leaves the young girl in the care of his mother - she just so happens to own a brothel.
Whilst this isn’t the perfect place to raise a child, Edith is adopted by the courtesans, particularly Titine (Emmanuelle Seigner), who dotes upon her as if they really were mother and child. However, at possibly the most stable time of her life, Edith and her new extended family are torn apart in one of the most heart wrenching scenes of the film.
Now helping her father within the exciting atmosphere of the circus, Edith’s life is altered further as the pair are left homeless. A blessing in disguise, this is the vital catalyst of the film in which a young Edith soon realises the power of her voice.
Years later, at the age of 18, and accompanied by new friend, Simone, Piaf is still singing in the streets for money, leading to a chance encounter with club owner Louis Leplee that alters the course of her life forever…
Dahan’s film is layered with subtle parallels throughout, as Edith grows into someone eerily similar to the people who have abandoned her on more than one occasion. The fact that her parents are both themselves performers (or “artistes,” as her mother prefers to be called) only increases the comparisons further. When Edith finally gains the professional success she craves, we’re left to wonder whether her personality will evolve positively or descend within the egotism so often portrayed in celebrity biopics. In a way, her success is her own brand of revenge against those who have wronged her as well; a sort of karma.
Edith, at heart, is a good person but Dahan is just as revealing about Piaf’s flaws as he is her triumphs. Marion Cotillard’s acting is simply flawless throughout, with her Academy Award win being well-earned and deserved, whilst the supporting cast of Sylvie Testud as Simone and Emmanuelle Seigner playing Titine form the strong pillars alongside the lead role.
With the soundtrack consisting of Piaf’s own original recordings (with only a couple of minor exceptions to portray the singer’s frailty), the film is sure to please die-hard fans as well as gaining fresh ears in the process. With so many biographical films predominantly targeting clued-in listeners, it is refreshing to see that Dahan hasn’t neglected to remember that mainstream audiences outside of France may not have directly heard of Piaf herself, but will no doubt know her most famous hit, ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ (‘No Regrets’).
Whilst La Vie En Rose is largely a positive viewing experience, the moving back and fourth between time periods can make the film, at times, hard to follow, with the scenes concerning Piaf’s daughter seemingly cut and pasted in by the director towards the end.
It becomes impossible to fathom that one person has lived through and experienced such hardship and troubles – had this been pure fiction, it would have seemed hyperbolic and unbelievable. The very fact that Piaf’s life, and the woman herself was so mercurial makes the film even more inspiring, considering the obstacles she overcame and her ever present love of life until the end. Edith Piaf was truly a woman who had no regrets.
Abandonment, poverty, stardom and romance are explored alongside loss and loneliness throughout as the film is littered with moments of poignancy, sadness and joy that will have you laughing one moment and reaching for the tissues the next. With its stunning soundtrack and strong cast, La Vie En Rose is a film that should and will never go by unnoticed. SRI
Stunningly beautiful. BEST FILM EVER!
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