Edith Piaf fans only

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2007)

This a fairly straightforward biopic that should be considered required viewing for anybody who remembers and respects Edith Paif, but be warned: it's not for everybody. The tagline "The Extraordinary life of..." is just a little bit misleading, because the film doesn't actually make her story seem that amazing. She certainly did lead a tragic, topsy turvy life- professionally and personally, but we don't get to see much of her as a true "artist". It's a biopic that seems to blend in with most of the other recent biopics we've seen, and like some of those other films (Walk the Line, Ray, etc) your enjoyment really depends on how well you already appreciate the subject. Only once in a great while does a truly incredible biopic (say, Amadeus or Schindler's List) come along that transcends any knowledge of the subject, and manages to tell an amazing story that would be just as captivating if it were fictional.