The Kid in Not So Rosy Hues

Rating: 5/10 (14 June 2008)

La Mome is a sophisticated biopic with a first rate cast and rich production values. Marion Cotillard's performance in her role as Edith Piaf was technically proficient but somewhat cold and enigmatic. At first I interpreted this approach to be a reflection of the character: perhaps in life Ms. Piaf was a cipher to those around her, cold and distant. The dialog, direction and film editing with its constant flashbacks and flash forwards, reinforce this interpretation. But the opposite is true. The details of her life after her discovery as a singer are well documented and her life itself was a passionate, if tragic, one. Thus we are left to determine whether the obvious deficiencies in the movie are those of the actor, the writers, the director (who co-wrote) or all three. I cannot sort it out and so must fault all involved. Meaty female leading roles of the sort tackled here by Ms. Cotillard are rare indeed and her performance in showcasing Pilaf's life from young woman to a prematurely aged wreck (she was only 48 when she died of liver failure but if the movie is to be believed she looked to be at least 30 years older) has its "wow" moments. But the whole is less than the parts. The character doesn't develop over the course of the movie nor is insight into her life provided through either the writing, direction or performance. Her death and many significant facts of her life are purposely obscured or shrouded in mystery--to an unnecessary degree. The most significant of these failures are her activities during the German occupation during World War II. One would think this period, rather than the tedious post-War period of physical decline and drug abuse, would have deserved at least some treatment. I suspect it is because this period of her life is a controversial one. Was she a Nazi collaborator and traitor or a secret member of the French Resistance? To the writers and director of 'La Mome' the years 1940-1945 never happened despite the fact that the song that inspired the alternative title to this film: 'La Vie En Rose' was authored and released in 1945. So what is to be made of this movie? As an artistic work I believe it is a failure for it shrinks from dealing with any of the significant issues of Piaf's time that speak to ours. From a technical perspective the art direction, the ensemble performances, the music and the cinematography are first rate.