La vie en rose (2007) : A review
iView Author: Biswa Prasun Chatterji (Mumbai, India)
Email: biswaprasun [at]gmail[dot]com
Content : La vie en rose (2007) : A review
I recommend the reader’s a movie ‘La vie en rose’ strongly. I got this movie in my collection when I found that it got 2 Oscars in 2007 – one for the best actress (Marion Cotillard) and another for make-up. I heard a lot of praise for this stunningly beautiful and young French actress but I never watched it due to lack of time. But when I watched it last weekend I was just swept away. How captivating was the portrayal of legendary French singer Edith Piaf’s life story!
Edith Piaf (played beautifully by Marion Cotillard ) was a French singer who catapulted into fame in the first half of twentieth century. Her ballads were crowd-pullers and she was considered the greatest singer of
France. She was liked by the elites as well as the masses. She had a humble origin and tormented life. Her short yet disturbed life had enough stories to be made into a stirring movie. Born to an acrobat father and a singer mother, she was raised in a brothel. She started as a street singer in Paris to earn her living and was picked up by Louis Leplee, a night club owner for singing in that club. She became popular and never looked back after she met Raymond Asso, the songwriter who polished her talent.
She belted out hits after hits and became darling of the French. She toured Europe and US. But tragedy and sorrow never left her. She was married and divorced. She thought that she found happiness and contentment in the much-married Marcel Cerdan, the French heavyweight World champion boxer. But death of Marcel in a plane crash left her forlorn. And alcohol,
drugs, her low-life addiction never did her any good to sober up her life.
Though she was a constant embarrassment for her accompanying people, they always tried to put back her life in shape because they were sure of her
captivating talent. She died at a young age of forty seven in 1963.
All this, so beautifully enacted by Marion! It has to be remembered that Marion Cotillard was only 30 years old when she played the role of Edith Piaf. Marion was brilliant as a young and unsure Edith who comes to stage nervously; and even better as an old, ill and dying Edith. With a wonderful makeup, she transforms into the older Edith and portrays engrossingly the innate insecurities, tantrums, and guilt of a decaying
life which held enormous promise and talent. I can say doubtlessly that Cotillard deserves a place in film history similar to Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Merleine Deitrich- the all time great artists.
I was moved by the last scene of this movie. Even a heartless will be. The last scene is a montage of Edith’s lifestory – her moments of glory and pangs of longing for ever-elusive love and happiness with a brilliantly played full-throated song “Je ne regrette rien” meaning “No regrets, no regrets at all” as a backdrop.
The French song says
“No, nothing at all,
No, I regret nothing at all,
Not the good times I had,
Not the pain,
It means nothing to me.
It is done, wiped away, erased.
The past interests me not at all.
With my souvenirs I build a fire,
My sadness, my pleasures,
I don’t need them any longer.
The loves are gone, the traumas as well,
Erased forever,
I must start anew”.
What an apt and heart-rending swan-song of a singer who lived and died for music. I may even forget the movie but not this song with such imageries of a wonderful life, lived to the hilt and lost. I am moved whenever I think of this last scene. Overall, this biopic can be of lasting impression for serious film lovers, not only for its acting but also for its music.
Tags: Edith Piaf, La vie en rose, Marion Cotillard, World Cinema
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I finally got to watch this film few months ago also after hearing of it from that years Oscars. Its a great film. the only thing that i was a little critical of was that there were too many flashbacks in flashbacks which got a little confusing.
I was so amazed by how the actress Marion’s face and stance had transformed to become more like Edith. She deserved that win.
The
I wonder what this movie would have been without Marion Cotillard. She was amazing. After watching Jeux D’enfants I came to watch this film immed’ly and I was surprised by the makeover – physically and acting wise. Well deserved accolades for her here.
What a tragic film it was!…I saw it just after it got the oscars & I couldn’t remember a more tragic film!…
excellent acting I must say…after the film I checked out some real edith piaf clips on youtube and was shocked by the resemblance…
Arthi : Like you, I was also bowled over by Marion’s makeover….It’s not only the make-up…the way she presented young and old Edith with equal aplomb is awesome. Make-up may transform a face, but not the persona.
Jitaditya : There are more tragic films than this…eg. Ritwik Ghatak’s Meghe Dhaka Tara…but it’s not the tragedy that drew me…I liked the way they Edith’s tumultous and troubled life.
i agree..I was drawn to the way her life shaped up rather than to the tragedy of it. She seemed to spirited of a woman to want anyone’s pity.
I have loved watching this movie. So. Much.
great film, great songs, great subject, and a great Marion Cotillard
@ Arthi V
don’t you think Jeux d’enfant deserves a bollywood remake?
I had the same feeling also when I watched tout pour plaire.
add shahid kapoor and any temporarily hot actress , a few songs from Pritam and you got a hit people.