La Vie en Rose is a 2007 French biopic about the singer Edith
Piaf who rose from a street urchin early in the twentieth century to become one
of France’s
most renowned singers by the mid point of the century. The film charts her
battles against stage fright, mafia control, arthritis, morphine addiction and
snobbery as she slowly rises to prominence.
I have to admit that I didn’t like the film. I thought it
was muddled, over-long and confusing but in amongst the mess was one of the best
acting performances I’ve seen in a long time. Marion Cotillard delivers a spell
binding performance as the troubled singer and deserves a much better vehicle
for her talents. She transforms effortlessly from the young waif to her height
in the fifties and on to the broken woman of 1960. Without her stunning
performance the film wouldn’t be worth watching, because of it, it is a must
see.
