| LA VIE EN ROSE (La Môme) |
If there is any justice in the
world, audiences will flock to see
Marion Cotillard offer one of the
greatest female screen
performances ever seen in the
uneven biopic LA VIE EN ROSE
(LA MÔME). The film, co-written
and directed by Oliver Drahan is
a lavish, overlong version of the life
of legendary chanteuse Édith Piaf.
According to the press notes,
Drahan wanted to make a film
about the motives that drive an
artist and while scanning some
books in a shop, he came upon a biography of Piaf. Voilà! He had his subject.
Never mind that there had already been a few attempts to put her story on film
(the dreadful PIAF: THE EARLY YEARS (1974), the so-so ÉDITH ET
MARCEL (1983) which concentrated on her love affair with boxer Marcel
Cerdan, the made for television drama PIAF (1984), adapted from the stage
play that showcased a bravura turn by Jane Lapotaire), Drahan forged ahead.
In order to shake things up a bit, he and co-writer Isabelle Sobelman decided
to let the story unfold in a nonlinear fashion. This can present some problems
for viewers as the film jumps around from time period to time period.
Sometimes, there are captions that inform you where and when the action is
taking place, other times not. One can only figure out what's going on by the
dialogue and the costumes and production design and makeup.
While watching the film, I was trying to figure out why the filmmakers decided
to cut to that particular time -- was it meant to comment on what we've just
seen, or to prepare for some scenes we are yet to see. Eventually,
I just gave in and let the movie wash over me, mainly because of Cotillard's
superlative performance.
LA VIE EN ROSE opens in New York City in 1959 when Piaf was at the
height of her renown. There are flashbacks to her Dickensian childhood.
Raised in Belleville, she was often neglected by her young mother who was
trying to make a living by singing in the streets. Eventually, young Édith
(portrayed by Manon Chevallier) is left with her neglectful maternal
grandmother. She is rescued by her father (Jean-Paul Rouve) who had been a
soldier during World War I, but the child is then deposited at his mother's
home -- which happens to be a whorehouse. The child bonds with one of the
prostitutes, Titine (Emmanuelle Seigner), before having those ties severed
when her father reappears after several years. He works as a street performer
but the now 10-year old Édith (Pauline Burlet) draws a larger crowd and more
money when she sings. After fighting with her father as a teenager, she strikes
out on her own. Ten years later, Édith (now portrayed by Cotillard) and her
buddy Simone or Mômone (Sylvie Testud) are spotted on the street corner.
Her benefactor is Louis Leplée (Gérard Depardieu in what is essentially a
small role) who grooms her for stardom and give her the moniker "La Môme
Piaf." When Leplée turns up murdered, Piaf's career is almost ruined by
scandal and implications she was somehow involved. Like many artists,
though, she was able to reinvent herself and by exploiting contacts, she
begins her ascent to stardom. Along the way are the various pitfalls that
plagued her and many others -- ill-fated love affairs (like that with Marcel
Cerdan, portrayed by singer Jean-Pierre Martins), accidents, drugs and
alcohol. By the time she died at the age of 47, Piaf looked like a woman twice
that age.
But that glorious voice! While Cotillard has sung on screen in other films, here
she lip syncs to Piaf recordings or to vocal mimic Jil Aigrot who was hired to
sing Piaf's earlier songs (such as "Mon légionnaire"), since the existent
recordings were deemed unusable. Aigrot captures the youthful verve and her
work is nearly indistinguishable from the actual recordings of Piaf that are
included.
I cannot say enough about Marion Cotillard, however. From the moment she
assumes the role until her final scenes, she is nothing short of mesmerizing.
Her performance is detailed and multi-faceted. One can already see the older
Piaf in the young girl of twenty as she hunches her shoulders and walks with
her distinctive gait. Even when Piaf is demanding, she is charismatic.
Cotillard tears into the role and delivers an amazing portrayal.
In the immediate aftermath of viewing the movie, I was so taken by Cotillard's
work that I was more forgiving of the film's flaws. As time went on, I began to
reflect on the choices the filmmakers made and wondered why they opted to
include some things and omit others. Piaf's acting career is barely mentioned
(but for a brief reference to Jean Cocteau) and her associations with Yves
Montand and others don't even rate a mention.
In spite of its flaws, there is still much to admire. In addition to Cotillard,
there are fine performances from Emmanuelle Seigner, Sylvie Testud, Pascal
Greggory, and Caroline Reynaud. The production design of Olivier Raoux, the
costumes of Marit Allen and the cinematography of Tetsuo Nagata are all
exemplary. Drahan attempts to put a new spin on some of the tried and true
cliches and in some cases what he does works well. Still, it all comes down to
the lead actress and Cotillard's work is among the best I've seen by an
actress in years. She deserves an A+ even if the overall film doesn't live up to
her standards.
Rating: B
© 2007 by C.E. Murphy. All Rights Reserved.
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| Marion Cotillard as Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose / La Môme Directed by Olivier Dahan, 2007; 140m Photo Credit: Bruno Calvo |