La Vie en Rose is another movie that's been sitting on my shelf a while. It's a biographical film about the late great Édith Piaf. I'm familiar with Piaf's music, but I knew little else about her before watching this.
The overall structure of the film is a little wonky. At times, there are three separate storylines in progression, each taking place at a different part of Piaf's life. This makes it a tad confusing. I assume this is done to have La Vie en Rose stand out among other biopics, but it's not as effective as I think they'd hoped.
I also think there are some parts of Piaf's life that are completely glossed over (i.e. her marriages). After reading a bit more about Édith Piaf, I learned that she got addicted to morphine after surviving multiple car crashes, which are nearly forgotten. I understand why some decisions are made, but the film focuses heavily on her addiction, yet neglects to mention the core cause. Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for her role in this, becoming the first foreign actress to win Best Actress. She's unrecognizable as Édith Piaf, and I think she immerses herself into the role quite well. I don't know of Piaf's mannerisms or dialect, so I can't really judge those. As far as acting is concerned, Cotillard does well, especially in the scene with Marcel's watch.
This isn't really a movie I'd be eager to watch again. It's long, boring at times, and I've seen better biopics. I think it captures the tragedy and the sadness of Piaf's life, but mostly thanks to Cotillard. I love the music and the culture of France, but I don't find myself ever falling in love with La Vie en Rose.
The overall structure of the film is a little wonky. At times, there are three separate storylines in progression, each taking place at a different part of Piaf's life. This makes it a tad confusing. I assume this is done to have La Vie en Rose stand out among other biopics, but it's not as effective as I think they'd hoped.
I also think there are some parts of Piaf's life that are completely glossed over (i.e. her marriages). After reading a bit more about Édith Piaf, I learned that she got addicted to morphine after surviving multiple car crashes, which are nearly forgotten. I understand why some decisions are made, but the film focuses heavily on her addiction, yet neglects to mention the core cause. Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for her role in this, becoming the first foreign actress to win Best Actress. She's unrecognizable as Édith Piaf, and I think she immerses herself into the role quite well. I don't know of Piaf's mannerisms or dialect, so I can't really judge those. As far as acting is concerned, Cotillard does well, especially in the scene with Marcel's watch.
This isn't really a movie I'd be eager to watch again. It's long, boring at times, and I've seen better biopics. I think it captures the tragedy and the sadness of Piaf's life, but mostly thanks to Cotillard. I love the music and the culture of France, but I don't find myself ever falling in love with La Vie en Rose.