Reviewed by Janina Conboye
Stars Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory,
Emmanuelle Seigner, Gerard Depardieu
Written by Olivier Dahan & Isabelle Sobelman
Produced by Alain Goldman
Certification UK 12A | US PG-13
Runtime 140 minutes
Directed by Olivier Dahan
When the opportunity to see La Vie en Rose (The Life in Pink) came up, I thought little of it. I had a free evening and went along with a mild curiosity and little expectation. My editor confessed to knowing very little about Edith Piaf, but I in fact knew nothing at all. Apart from a quick glimpse of her profile on the trusty Wikipedia, I had no idea of what I was about to encounter. But happily, as it turns out, the film is absolutely sensational — a heart-wrenching yet beautiful tragedy, in which we see a life of both triumph and despair. It is deeply moving and sad, but it is also an inspiration.
Raised in poverty in Paris , Edith Piaf (Cotillard) rose to international stardom as one of the greatest singers ever to grace the stage, and became the most famous French woman of the century. The quality of the cast in indisputable, and Cotillard (A Good Year, A Very Long Engagement) is exquisite. She believes Piaf helped her as an actress long before she would actually play her, as she would use her songs to reach a vulnerable emotional state before a scene. She captures the raw essence of Piaf’s character, giving us an intimate but human portrait of the singer. As Piaf begins to lose her fight against a tragic end, director Olivier Dahan creates a poignant finale as he entwines his recreation of one of Piaf’s final performances at the Olympia Concert Hall in Paris, with scenes of her finally fading away. Among tears and reflection on her final night alive, we see a perfect performance of Non Je Ne Regrette Rien.
La Vie en Rose reveals a person that, despite her troubles, many of us can relate to. She was a woman who could not bear to be alone, and her money and resounding success meant little if she was in any way bound by solitude. I found this very easy to relate to; I often can’t bear my own company, and what is the point of endless success if we are to suffer palpable loneliness in achieving it? The only fault that lies with this film is that if you know little of Piaf’s life, there are a few minor details that remain are unclear. For example, the singer had a drug addiction due to acute arthritis, but it is never stated to what she is addicted nor is it obviously implied.
Piaf was a sweet and charming character but at times she was also tyrannical. She was an honest woman who, no matter what, always believed in love. She was fragile, but seemingly indestructible, with a legacy that continues to live on. This is a film that stirs your soul. It almost consumes you and gives you a taste of how Piaf lived through her music and leaves you wanting so much more. I ordered her CD as soon as I got home.