Uneven biopic, but Marion Cottilard is sublime!

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2010)

I saw this film a while back and was thoroughly impressed, even with the flaws. Looking back on my reviews I was surprised I hadn't yet reviewed La Vie En Rose(or La mome as it's listed here). So here it is. La Vie En Rose is uneven but there is a huge amount to redeem it. My complaints are that the film's story structure is somewhat disjointed and the script does have a tendency to make the film go overly-dramatic.
However, La Vie En Rose is stunningly filmed- the scenery, sets, costumes, hair, make-up and cinematography are simply stunning! Another major plus is the soundtrack, I really like Edith Piaf, and her songs are used to great effect here. La Vie En Rose, Frou Frou, Non je ne regrette rien and L'Hymne a l'amour among others are sublime to listen to and just hearing Piaf's voice makes me moved. The direction is pretty decent as well, and in terms of acting Pascal Greggory, Gerard Depardieu and Sylvie Testud are all very, very good. However, Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf herself is outstanding. Her beautiful looks and her dazzling presence are enough to make me be completely enchanted by her. Sometimes I forget that I am seeing Marion Cotillard, sometimes I think I am seeing Edith Piaf, Cotillard's performance is THAT good.
Overall, despite its flaws, I seriously have no regrets seeing La Vie En Rose. 8/10 Bethany Cox