Review

Review Date: 15-July-07
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

La Vie en Rose (2007)

I am not an enthusiast of movies like "La Vie en Rose," which chronicles the troubled life of singer Edith Piaf. As with many notable artists, this Parisian songbird endured ordeals that don't lend themselves to entertainment, and in the end all biographies suffer from incomplete observations and unanswered questions. Yet Olivier Dahan's film is such a stylish affair that its merits carry the day. As far as depressing biopics go, this is one of the best.

Piaf's 48 years were a humdinger of a ride. Born into poverty during World War I, she was neglected as a toddler and spent her youth in a brothel, where the atmosphere was unpleasant but she was doted upon by a kindly prostitute. Her father took her away when she was about ten, after which she worked in a circus and began panhandling and singing on the streets. By the ripe age of 20 she was a hard-drinking guttersnipe with the cruelty of an urban animal (see how she abuses her alcoholic mother) and the vulnerability of a child (see how she allows herself to be shoved around by a pimp). Lacking beauty, self-assurance, and acquaintance with decent living, she was blessed with a single asset: a voice that made people stop and listen.

One person who stopped was the cabaret owner who gave Edith her name (Piaf means "sparrow") and introduced her to professional musicians. From there she left the streets behind for four-star hotels, packed concert halls, and the constant attention of an adoring entourage. The movie intricately weaves scenes from Piaf's early and later settings so that we never forget how different they were. But the hardship persists no matter the time or place. Indeed, the one gripe I have with "La Vie en Rose" is that some scenes seemingly crop up just to round out the list of horrors that Piaf knew. A temporary blindness, a car crash, and a big secret revealed at the end (but wait, there's more!) don't point anywhere but to a darker shade of black.

For me the draw and payoff of the movie is its star, Marion Cotillard, who has garnered raves ever since its debut and originally caught my eye as the bereaved murderess in "A Very Long Engagement." She stays true to her character through a wide range of stances and emotions. She is radiant when Piaf finds love with a gorgeous (and married) boxer and well nigh hideous when she succumbs to arthritis and drug abuse. The unanswered questions here include the nature of her relationship with her husbands and her longtime, apparently lesbian friend, and whether two scenes where she has visions represent a cinematic flourish or an insight into the singer's mind. But although the movie reminds me how impossible it is to condense a person's experience, Dahan and Cotillard provide a stunning image of Piaf's journey through the bright lights of fame and the circles of hell.

Copyright © 2007 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.