La Vie en Rose
Theatrical release poster
Directed byOlivier Dahan
Written byIsabelle Sobelman
Olivier Dahan
Produced byAlain Goldman
Starring
CinematographyTetsuo Nagata
Edited byRichard Marizy
Music byChristopher Gunning
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 8 February 2007 (2007-02-08) (Berlinale)
  • 14 February 2007 (2007-02-14) (France)
  • 14 June 2007 (2007-06-14) (Czech Republic)
  • 22 June 2007 (2007-06-22) (United Kingdom)
Running time
140 minutes[1]
Countries
  • France[2]
  • Czech Republic[3]
  • United Kingdom[4]
Languages
  • French
  • English
Budget$25 million[5]
Box office$87.4 million[6]

La Vie en Rose (literally Life in pink, French pronunciation: [la vi ɑ̃ ʁoz];[note 1] French: La Môme)[note 2][7] is a 2007 biographical musical film about the life of French singer Édith Piaf, co-written and directed by Olivier Dahan, and starring Marion Cotillard as Piaf. The UK and US title La Vie en Rose comes from Piaf's signature song. The film is an international co-production between France, Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom. It made its world premiere at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival in the main competition.

Cotillard's performance received critical acclaim and earned her several awards including the Academy Award for Best Actress – the first time an Oscar had been given for a French-language role – the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the César Award for Best Actress. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, the BAFTA Award for Best Makeup, BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design, BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, and four additional César Awards. The film grossed $87.4 million worldwide on a $25 million budget and sold over seven million tickets in Europe.

Plot

The film is structured as a largely non-linear series of key events from the life of Édith Piaf. [note 3] The film begins with elements from her childhood, and at the end with the events prior to and surrounding her death, poignantly juxtaposed by a performance of her song, "Non, je ne regrette rien" (No, I do not Regret Anything).

Beginning in 1918, young Édith suffers a chaotic childhood and is eventually sent to live with her paternal-grandmother, who runs a brothel in Normandy. Édith witnesses the brutal business of prostitution. When she suffers an episode of keratitis-induced blindness, a kind sex worker named Titine tenderly cares for Édith.

Édith's World War I veteran father collects her to accompany him while he works as a circus acrobat. One night, Édith sees a vision of St Thérèse in a fire eater's flames. St Thérèse says she will always be with Édith—a belief that she carries for the rest of her life. When Édith is nine years old, her father leaves the circus and performs on the streets of Paris. During a lackluster performance, a passerby asks if Édith is part of the show. She spontaneously sings "La Marseillaise" with raw emotion, mesmerizing the street crowd.

Years later, nightclub owner Louis Leplée hires Édith to sing at his club and gives her the stage surname of Piaf, a colloquialism for sparrow that is inspired by her diminutive height of only 1.47m (4 ft 8in). However, Leplée is soon shot dead and the police suspect it is due to Édith's connections to the mafia. When she next attempts a show at a cabaret, she is jeered off the stage by a hostile crowd. Things go from bad to worse when her best friend, Mômone, is forcibly taken to a convent. Desperate, Édith turns to Raymond Asso, a songwriter and accompanist. Through harsh means, he enlivens her stage presence with hand gestures, better enunciation, and other lessons.

Édith's career progresses and she achieves fame. While performing in New York City, Édith meets Marcel Cerdan, a fellow French national and a middleweight boxer competing for the World Champion title. Despite him being married, Édith believes she is falling in love with Marcel. An affair ensues and, while it is supposedly a secret, "La Vie En Rose" is played for Marcel wherever he goes. Édith persuades Marcel to fly from Paris to join her in New York, and he wakes her up in her bedroom with a kiss. She goes to get coffee and is informed by her entourage that Marcel was killed when his plane crashed. Édith hysterically searches for his ghost.

The narrative bookends scenes from Édith's middle life with repeated vignettes. One set of memories shows Édith with short curly hair, singing on stage and collapsing. She develops arthritis, as well as a severe morphine addiction. Her husband, Jacques Pills, persuades her to enter drug rehabilitation, and she travels to California with him. A now-sober but manic Édith drives around in a convertible while joking and teasing her compatriots. She drives into a Joshua tree, but the hilarity continues as Édith gets out and pretends to hitchhike.

Years later, an aged Édith is now frail and hunched. She squabbles with her entourage about whether or not she will be able to perform at the Olympia. Charles Dumont and Michel Vaucaire offer her the composition, "Non, je ne regrette rien,” which she loves and announces that she will perform it.

Prior to what turns out to be her last performance, Édith asks for the cross necklace that she always wears and her staff rush away to get it. She sits in quiet solitude and experiences memories of her past. After Édith puts on the retrieved cross and shuffles out onto the stage, more flashbacks are shown as she sings. Édith relives a sunny day on a beach while knitting. She answers an interviewer’s questions, during which she repeatedly encourages others to "Love."

Édith's hard living and cancer has caused her to waste away at the age of 47. As she is tucked into bed, a subtitle reveals this is her last day alive. She is afraid and experiences a disjointed series of memories of small, yet defining moments—her mother commenting on her "wild eyes", her father giving her a doll, and thoughts of her own dead child, Marcelle. In a flashback, Édith performs "Non, je ne regrette rien" at the Olympia.

Cast

Production

Director Olivier Dahan had the idea for the film on 22 January 2004, when he was in a bookstore and had just found a book of photographs of French singer Édith Piaf and began to look at them.[7] "I didn't know about her very early years and (there was) a photo that really made this first impression for me. It was a photo of her in a street when she was something like 17 years old and she really looked 'punk' (in terms of her) clothes and everything (and her) attitude. This photo was so far from the iconic image that I had (of Piaf when she was older). I just started to imagine something very quickly — what was in between that very early photo and the iconic image of her in the black dress and everything. That's the first impression (I had)", Dahan said.[7]

Marion Cotillard was chosen by Dahan to portray Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose before he had even met her, saying that he noticed a similarity between Piaf's and Cotillard's eyes.[8] Producer Alain Goldman and casting director Olivier Carbone accepted and defended the choice,[9][10] even though distributor TF1 reduced the money they gave to finance the film thinking Cotillard was not "bankable" enough an actress.[9] The producers originally wanted Audrey Tautou for the role,[9][11] and reduced $5 million of the budget after Cotillard was cast.[12] Tautou's agent, Laurent Grégoire, said he had set up a meeting between Tautou and the film's producers, but when Tautou was informed of the film's premise, she responded: "Who is going to be interested in a film about Édith Piaf?", and the producers lost interest in casting her, so he suggested his other client, Marion Cotillard, for the role.[11]

Filming took place in four months.[7]

Three songs were entirely performed by singer Jil Aigrot: "Mon Homme" (My Man),[13] "Les Mômes de la Cloche" (The kids of the bell),[13] and "Les Hiboux" (Owls),[13] as well as the third verse and chorus of "L'Accordéoniste" (The accordionist) and the first chorus of "Padam, padam...". Only parts of these last two songs were sung because they were sung while Piaf/Cotillard was fatigued and collapsed on stage. Apart from that, "La Marseillaise" is performed by child singer Cassandre Berger (lip-synched by Pauline Burlet, who plays the young Édith in the film), and Mistinguett's "Mon Homme" (My Man) and "Il m'a vue nue" (He saw me naked) (sung in part by Emmanuelle Seigner) also appear. Cotillard performed the song "Frou-Frou" in the film.[14] Recordings of Piaf were also used in the film.[15]

Aigrot was chosen to perform the songs in the film after she attended a book signing at a library by Piaf's longtime secretary and confidante, Ginou Richer, at the same time that she was performing a concert entirely dedicated to Piaf.[15] Richer asked Aigrot to sing some of Piaf's songs on the spot and was impressed by it, saying that she had never heard someone sound so much like Piaf.[15] Richer then called Dahan and recommended Aigrot for La Vie en Rose.[15]

Release

La Vie en Rose was the opening film of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival, where it made its world premiere in the main competition on 8 February 2007.[16] Cotillard's performance received an ovation from journalists at the festival's press conference,[16] and a 15-minute standing ovation at the end of its screening.[17] Hollywood talent agent Hylda Queally signed Cotillard shortly after the premiere at the festival.[18]

The film was released theatrically in France by TFM Distribution on 13 February 2007,[2] in Czech Republic by Bioscop on 14 June 2007,[3] and in the United Kingdom by Icon Film Distribution on 22 June 2007.[3]

New Line Cinema/HBO joint venture Picturehouse acquired US distribution rights to the film after Picturehouse president, Bob Berney, and the company's head of acquisitions, Sara Rose, watched a 10-minute footage of it at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival,[19][20] and later released the film in US theaters on 8 June 2007.[7]

The album with the soundtrack was released on 5 February 2007.[13]

Reception

Box office

In theaters, the film grossed US$87,484,847 worldwide – $10,301,706 in the United States and Canada and $77,183,141 elsewhere in the world.[6] In Francophone countries including France, Algeria, Monaco, Morocco and Tunisia, the film grossed a total of $42,651,334.[21] It sold over 7,9 million tickets in Europe,[3] and 1,1 million tickets in the United States.[22]

The film became the third-highest-grossing French-language film in the United States since 1980 (behind Amélie (2001) and Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)).[23]

Critical response

Marion Cotillard's portrayal of Édith Piaf garnered universal acclaim, earning her multiple national and international accolades and winning her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

The film received positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 74% based on 154 reviews, with an average rating of 6.90/10.[24] The site's critical consensus reads, "The set design and cinematography are impressive, but the real achievement of La Vie en Rose is Marion Cotillard's mesmerizing, wholly convincing performance as Edith Piaf."[24] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[25] AlloCiné, a French cinema website, gave the film an average rating of 4.0/5, based on a survey of 27 French reviews.[26]

Cotillard received widespread critical acclaim for her performance, with many critics citing it as the best performance of the year and one of the greatest acting performances of all time.[24] A. O. Scott of The New York Times, while unimpressed with the film itself, said "it is hard not to admire Ms. Cotillard for the discipline and ferocity she brings to the role."[27] Carino Chocano of the Los Angeles Times opined that "Marion Cotillard is astonishing as the troubled singer in a technically virtuosic and emotionally resonant performance..." Richard Nilsen from Arizona Republic was even more enthusiastic, writing "don't bother voting. Just give the Oscar to Marion Cotillard now. As the chanteuse Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, her acting is the most astonishing I've seen in years."[24]

Critic Mark Kermode of The Observer was less keen; while he felt there was much to applaud, there was also "plenty to regret".[note 4] Kermode agreed that the source material provided "heady inspiration", and that Cotillard plays everything with "kamikaze-style intensity", but thought the film lacking in structure and narrative, creating "an oddly empty experience".[28]

PopMatters gave it a 7 rating (out of 10). In summary it said that the film, despite its somewhat disjointed and episodic narrative, revolves around Piaf's resilience, showcasing her magnificent spirit as she navigates through love, loss, and the challenges of her extraordinary career, making it a compelling yet incomplete exploration of the legendary artist's life.[29]

Accolades

Award Category Recipients Result
Academy Awards Best Actress Marion Cotillard Won
Best Costume Design Marit Allen Nominated
Best Makeup Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald Won
Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear Olivier Dahan Nominated[16]
British Academy Film Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Marion Cotillard Won
Best Costume Design Marit Allen Won
Best Makeup and Hair Jan Archibald and Didier Lavergne Won
Best Original Music Christopher Gunning Won
Best Production Design Olivier Raoux and Stanislas Reydellet Nominated
Best Sound Laurent Zeilig, Pascal Villard, Jean-Paul Hurier and Marc Doisne Nominated
Best Film Not in the English Language Alain Goldman and Olivier Dahan Nominated
César Awards Best Film La Vie en Rose Nominated
Best Director Olivier Dahan Nominated
Best Actress Marion Cotillard Won
Best Supporting Actor Pascal Greggory Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Sylvie Testud Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Olivier Dahan Nominated
Best Cinematography Tetsuo Nagata Won
Best Costume Design Marit Allen Won
Best Editing Richard Marizy and Yves Beloniak Nominated
Best Production Design Olivier Raoux Won
Best Sound Laurent Zeilig, Pascal Villard, Jean-Paul Hurier and Marc Doisne Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Marion Cotillard Won
Lumières Awards Best Film La Vie en Rose Nominated
Best Director Olivier Dahan Nominated
Best Actress Marion Cotillard Won

Notes

  1. ↑ A literal translation of "La Vie en Rose" is "Life in Pink", a figurative reference to rose-colored glasses.
  2. ↑ La Môme refers to Piaf's nickname "La Môme Piaf" (meaning "baby sparrow, birdie, little sparrow")
  3. ↑ The audience ultimately learns that the events from the film are flashbacks from within Édith's own memory as she dies.
  4. ↑ A pun on Piaf's Non, je ne regrette rien (I don't regret anything).

References

  1. ↑ "LA MOME - LA VIE EN ROSE (12A)". Icon Film Distribution. British Board of Film Classification. 27 March 2007. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 "La Vie en Rose (2005)". Unifrance. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "La Môme". Lumiere. European Audiovisual Observatory. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "La Môme (2007)". BFI. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  5. ↑ Hohenadel, Kristin (2 July 2006). "Édith Piaf, the Little Sparrow, Takes Flight Again". New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 "La Vie en rose (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Grove, Martin A. (20 April 2007). "Tragic Piaf film could see happy ending at Oscars". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "Piaf star Cotillard's career blooms with Oscar nom for 'La Vie En Rose'". The Canadian Press. 14 February 2008. Archived from the original on 19 February 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 Secher, Benjamin (12 February 2008). "Everything's coming up roses". Telegraph.co.uk. London. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  10. ↑ Leffler, Rebecca (18 May 2009). "'Basterds' casting digs deep in France". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  11. 1 2 Ntim, Zac (10 November 2022). "Leading French Agent Laurent Grégoire Talks Marion Cotillard, 'Call My Agent' & And How To Create A Successful Acting Career — Thessaloniki Film Festival". Deadline. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  12. ↑ Tounsi-Chaïbdraa, Chaïma (4 December 2020). "La Môme : avec quelle actrice Marion Cotillard était-elle en concurrence pour jouer Edith Piaf ?". AlloCiné (in French). Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "La Môme Soundtrack". Film Music Site. April 2012. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  14. ↑ Temmerman, Jan (12 February 2007). "'Ik heb Edith Piaf in mij laten groeien'" ['I let Edith Piaf grow in me']. De Morgen (in German).
  15. 1 2 3 4 Donahue, Ann (21 March 2008). ""La Vie en Rose" singer steps into spotlight". Reuters. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 Hernandez, Eugene (8 February 2007). "BERLIN '07 DAILY DISPATCH | With "La Vie En Rose," Cotillard and Piaf in Snowy Spotlight on First Day". Indiewire. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  17. ↑ ""La Vie en rose" by Olivier Dahan – Premiere with Marion Cotillard in attendance". Newswire. 28 February 2007. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  18. ↑ "Marion Cotillard on Her Latest Cannes Film and Getting Over Edith Piaf". Variety. 13 May 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  19. ↑ Goodridge, Mike (27 May 2006). "Picturehouse wins US rights to La Vie En Rose". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  20. ↑ Grove, Martin A. (15 June 2007). "Picture perfect launch for Picturehouse's 'Rose'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  21. ↑ "La Vie en rose (2007) – International Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
  22. ↑ "LUMIERE : Film #26928 : La Môme". Lumiere. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Foreign Language, 1980-Present". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "La Vie en Rose (La Mome) (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "La Vie en Rose Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  26. ↑ "Critiques presse pour le film La Môme". AlloCiné (in French). Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  27. ↑ "La Vie en rose: A French Songbird’s Life, in Chronological Disorder Archived 6 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine". The New York Times. 8 June 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
  28. ↑ Kermode, Mark (24 June 2007). "La Vie en Rose". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  29. ↑ "La Vie En Rose (La Môme) (2007), PopMatters". PopMatters. 8 June 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
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