Release Date:
06/08/2007
Some movies live or die on the basis of one incredible performance that makes them worth seeing. In La Vie En Rose, a new French film depicting the life of the legendary singer Edith Piaf, who lived fast and died all too young, the acting achievement by 31-year-old Marion Cotillard can be compared to Oscar-winning turns by Jamie Foxx in Ray, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote, and Helen Mirren in The Queen as a remarkable portrait so uncannily rich and detailed it defies description. Even though Piaf died at age 47, she looked twice her age at the end, due to the toll of disease. What makes Cotillard's total surrender into the soul and body of Piaf all the more amazing is that in real life she is about as hot as they come. Screen acting just doesn't get much better than this. The film covers Piaf's life from birth in the early part of the 20th century to her final days in the '60s. It jumps back and forth through different time periods, and is often confusing as it tries to create a mosaic of a life snuffed out too soon. Rather than adopting a conventional biographical style, this subtitled art flick (already a smash hit around the world) chooses to paint a portrait that keeps us intrigued by throwing us off balance. It doesn't always work the way it is intended, but in the end, the only thing that matters is the performer. And she is extraordinary, even when lip-synching Piaf's actual recordings. She's flawless, even if her movie isn't.