La Vie En Rose

Technically masterful, this biopic of Edith Piaf is structurally sound and well-acted. Her tragic life is punctuated by losses of people close to her, in situations totally beyond her control. Seeking to regain control, Piaf's concomitant substance abuse fuels a stunted egotistic and tempestuous personality. The film bounces chronologically but I never found this irritating or confusing.

Wisely, Piaf's vocal performances were used, adding verisimilitude to the portrayal without distraction of an actor's interpretation.

Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf:

Mid-film, the entire Marcel romance sequence shows the fleeting happiness Piaf could never sustain. This is almost a quietly compelling movie within a movie. The gravitas is turned up a notch when Marlene Dietrich approaches the starstruck, suddenly girlish Piaf to tell her "you are the voice of Paris". The denouement of this series of scenes is a masterpiece of dream-like film making.

The director pulls off a second successful denouement at the end of the 2 hour and 20 minute film. Weaving strands into the tightest of braids, the ending satisfies. As the end of Piaf's life approaches and existential issues are wrestled in various plot lines and time frames, a perfunctory beach interview gives a wonderful counterpoint to the heavy issues swirling. "What is your favorite color?". The response from Piaf: "blue."

Edith Piaf:

The more I think about La Vie En Rose, the more I want to see it again.