‘La Vie en Rose’ is a superb biopic of Edith Piaf
By John Soltes
Biopics typically have a tried-and-true rubric when it comes to the storytelling department. Sometimes the tale is sprung from a deathbed (you know, having your life flash before your very eyes), other times it’s a reporter asking a celebrity some questions for a newspaper article. Still other times it can be a chronological affair, from rags to riches or birth to death, or even the bestowing of some lifetime achievement award.
Whatever the format, biopics have been hamstrung for years by this normality. So much so that I’ve grown to appreciate written biographies much more than cinematic ones. There are a few exceptions to the rule (American Splendor being probably the best), but more often than not a full life is reduced to digestible bookmarks.
Thankfully, La Vie en Rose, the Oscar-winning portrait of French singer Edith Piaf, is an exception to the rule. This gem of a movie is an uncompromising dive into the troubled world of the famous chanteuse. It jumps back and forth in time to tell its story, and the entire film is anchored by an unbelievably effective performance by Marion Cotillard (thankfully Oscar was kind to her).
For the uninitiated, Piaf is France’s Judy Garland. She lived life to the fullest, coming from meager origins, and unfortunately died young. Her legacy continues to attract visitors to Paris, and in many ways her songs have become the soundtrack of the nation.
For a singer who went on to great success, Piaf had quite the dysfunctional upbringing. Taken from her mother at a young age by her estranged father, the future singer was raised for some time in a brothel owned by her grandmother. Her surrogate mother was a kind prostitute who doted on the little child and taught her the value of life. She would move on from the brothel to sing in the streets of Paris with her circus-act father, begging for money from the interested passersby.
It was on the corner of the street that she attracted the attention of Louis Leplee (Gerard Depardieu), a corrupt owner of a cabaret who saw talent in the young performer. Within a few short days she was set up with a lounge act and the legend began.
La Vie en Rose jumps from these early days to scenes when Piaf was an established singer, falling in and out of love, and heartbreaking recreations of her final days.
Cotillard is able to play Piaf as a spunky 20-year-old and a frail 47-year-old. The actress offers a tour-de-force performance; she is wholly believable as Piaf the singer, the lover, and the girl from the streets. Even her physical posture fits the part. Piaf, in later years, had a noticeable hunch to her ailing body (she died of liver cancer). Cotillard channels this late Parisian singer with an adeptness that is almost frightening. It’s like watching a documentary.
Much credit should be given to Olivier Dahan, who directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Isabelle Sobelman. His willingness to break from chronology gives La Vie en Rose the chance to breathe and for the “Little Sparrow” to come to life.
La Vie en Rose
2008
Directed by Olivier Dahan
Written by Dahan and Isabelle Sobelman
Starring Marion Cotillard and Gerard Depardieu
Running time: 140 minutes
Rated PG-13 for substance abuse, sexual content, brief nudity, language and thematic elements
Bubble score: 4 out of 4
Click here to purchase La Vie en Rose on DVD.
