La Vie en Rose
La Vie en Rose stars Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf, the famed French singer who rose from great poverty to become one of the most famous cultural icons of her time. The film chronicles Piaf’s life from childhood through her death in 1963 at age 47.
Cotillard deservedly won an Academy Award for her performance as Piaf. What is most striking about Cotillard is her ability to age with the character she’s playing. She is equally convincing as Edith in her 20s and Edith during her dying days. Though the wonderful make-up by Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald (who also won an Oscars for their work) enhances Cotillard’s performance, the performance itself stands apart as worthy of praise. Her body, voice and her mannerisms change as Edith grows older. Furthermore, Cotillard never forgets to portray Edith the woman, as opposed to the icon. She never descends into an impersonation, a problem that many actors fall into when portraying famous figures (ex. Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator).
Though there are many aspects of the film that are worthy of praise (most notably: the acting, make-up, cinematography and set design), the film as a whole remains problematic. Dahan’s choice to present the story out of sequence backfires; instead of innovative, it comes off as tired and serves no purpose other than to call attention to itself. The ordering of the scenes seems haphazard rather than deliberate, and the film feels fragmented as a result. There is no character, apart from Piaf, that feels fleshed out. In fact, most characters exist only to stand in the background as part of Piaf’s entourage.
The other great problem with the film is quite beyond the filmmakers’ control: anyone who has ever seen the biography of a famous entertainer will know where this film is going, even if they’ve never heard of Piaf. Countless times, we’ve seen films about talented and impoverished youths who grow up to achieve great fame and fortune, only to self-destruct through drugs and alcohol. By now, such stories have become clichéd and the audience can feel no curiosity about where it’s going. The only investment one can feel in the outcome of such films depends on the charisma of the character in question, but the disjointed nature of La Vie en Rose makes that difficult, despite Marion Cottilard’s best efforts.
Misgivings aside, the film is worth watching. The great Edith Piaf’s voice on the soundtrack is enthralling and commanding. The character and the setting are vividly brought to life, and the poignancy Edith’s life shines through, despite the film’s misses. It is a greatly flawed film, but an arresting one nonetheless.
La Vie en Rose (2007) is now on available on DVD.
-Artemis
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