Homeland

Marion Cotillard is super in this depiction of the life of French chanteuse Édith Piaf - from her upbringing in a brothel through the stages of her life that moulded this flawed but inspirational, and rather sad, woman into the truly international superstar that she became. Her performance is captivating; capturing the mannerisms and characteristics in a gritty, sympathetic and authentic fashion; leaving us in no doubt as to the thin emotional tightrope Piaf walked between sanity and, eventually, a drug-induced stupor and of the risks that involved not just for her, but those loyal (and not so much) around her. It is long, and at times Olivier Dahan takes a rather brutal approach to the chronology that can take a bit of getting used to; but the supporting performances - especially from Pacsal Gregory (Barrier) and Jean-Pierre Martins (Cerdan) add a richness as important as the imagery. These, as well as a thoroughly plausible script contribute really well to the overall mix and assist with an overall creative storyline that was always going to be pretty bumpy at the best of times. The film is, ultimately, about a singer - and the vast majority of the songs make no bones about using the original - and exquisitely performed vocals. I've seen many biopics - but few as good as this.

# Film: *La Vie en Rose*

**Director:** Olivier Dahan

**Starring:** Marion Cotillard as Piaf

**PLOT:** \*\*\*\*

**MUSIC:** \*\*\*\*

**PERFORMANCE:** \*\*\*\*

**CINEMATOGRAPHY:** \*\*\*\*

**Year:** 2007 ‧ Musical/Drama

**Review by Dr Usman Latif Khawaja**

## **EDITH PIAF — THE FRENCH SPARROW**

The French have a way of making movies, and no one can do it as stylishly or realistically as them, and this is the latest evidence in support of that argument, in **Olivier Dahan's** coup de grâce biopic of **Edith Piaf**, enacted perfectly by **Miss Marion Cotillard**.

The story of the life and times of the legendary French singer who rose from the slums of Paris to shine like a star even in New York's mercenary concert halls is no ordinary tale at 149 minutes, as it traces her life from a 3-year-old child to her last moments in 1963.

**Piaf** was not her surname; it means sparrow in French and was given to her by her early admirers, and she sings just as sweetly.

The performance by Cotillard is the centrepiece, but the songs are actually the originals sung by Piaf herself, and they are extraordinary, whether it's the title song,

***La Vie en Rose***

or her last song, which she sang in Olympia while she was critically ill,

***Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.***

It's the songs which play a great part in the narrative, which is a trifle tedious as the movie keeps switching from one time to another, without any sequence, though it manages to cover most of her extraordinary life and loves, but it could have been simpler, though it is a triumph in the end.

The songs are the originals, and Miss Cotillard lip-synchronises them to great advantage. From the days of street busking in Paris to the last concert in Olympia, it's a delight to listen to the score.

The various agents, lovers and trainers who helped her climb the ladder to the top are all very well depicted, from **George Depardieu** as her early benefactor to Marcel Cerdan \[Jean-Baptiste Maunier\], the heavyweight boxing champion who was her last lover and died very tragically, destroying her life along with his own death in a plane crash.

In a very touching scene, after she sings *La Vie en Rose* in New York, **Marlene Dietrich** comes publicly to compliment her, saying that for a moment her song transported her to Paris, as she was enchanted by her singing.

The production is superb, from Paris to California, and brings out the eccentricity of a woman who was the best singer France has ever produced and yet who was on a self-destructive streak despite her immense creativity.

In final analysis, you will be very touched by the life of a small girl abandoned by her mother, brought up in the brothel of her grandmother and then patronised by the gangsters in the seedy bars of Paris, to finally make it as one of the greatest international singers of all time. The person who takes the most credit for this is Miss Cotillard, who was last seen in *The Good Year* with Russell Crowe, but here she is extraordinary and makes Edith Piaf come to life in a role which can easily win her an Oscar.

YET, AS PIAF SINGS IN THE END, SHE HAD NO REGRETS AT ALL. EVERYTHING SERVED A PURPOSE, AS IT DOES IN ALL OUR LIVES.

**EDITH PIAF — THE SPARROW OF FRANCE, who lived and died to sing and bring joy to millions of people.**

Thanks for reading.