A tragic story, beautifully told.

Rating: 9/10 (3 March 2008)

My wife went up to bed at about Midnight, Saturday. Not feeling that tired after nodding off on the sofa, I thought I would watch " La Vie en Rose " ......
2 hours 20 minutes, and a few cans of beer later..................... Riveting, and mentally exhausting ! ! I cannot say it was a Roller Coaster ride, as there were no "Ups" ! !
This is not a jolly ride. It is a tragic story of a tragic life, and you never come up for air. The songs are your only oxygen.
I thought that it was a remarkable film, and I am not embarrassed to tell you that the final scene had me on the verge of tears. Marion Cotillard IS Edith Piaf. She will never have or play a more perfect role, and deserves all the awards that she has received.
They used a Piaf impersonator, for the song sequences. (The original recordings were not up to the standard required for 2007 film making.) Jil Aigrot resurrected the voice of Edith Piaf. That was truly amazing. You would not believe it was not Piaf singing.
A criticism.... The film did not touch on, or mention Piaf's work for the French Resistance during the Second World War, but that can be forgiven. or the fact that she had just one child, a daughter, who died at the age of 2 years. (How much tragedy can you squeeze into one film ?)
As sombre as it sounds, the film did not depress me, and I will definitely watch it again. Bren.
A little trivia..... It is over 40 years since she died, and her grave is still the most visited in Paris. Irisheagle.