A mesmerizing film about a one of a kind performer

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2008)

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of France? To some it might be the Eiffel Tower, and to others it might be the famous avenue, the Champs-Élysées. Initially, these were the only two that came to my mind, but now you can add Edith Piaf to the list. In short, this movie is about the life of the famous French singer Edith Piaf, known perhaps mostly to the public as the Little Sparrow, a nickname given to her by someone who could be considered one of the most important men in her life, Louis Leplée, and has remained with her to this day.
We learn from the film that she was born on a street corner and abandoned by her parents, and that most of her childhood was spent growing up within the confines of a brothel. We also see her as a peddler singing in the streets as well as in nightclubs before receiving her first break. She becomes an incredible sensation throughout France, touring and delighting people in many countries including the United States.
I went into this movie knowing very little about Edith Piaf and came out wanting to know more. Even when the end credits started I found myself still glued to the screen, waiting for the last bit of credit to roll off, and at the same time thinking what a truly fascinating woman Edith Piaf was. The tragedies in her life, the people she had met, and her death that came much, much too early. Marion Cotillard is fantastic and had me within the first ten seconds of her first line. Believe me, she's that good. Just watching her react to her lover Marcel Cerdan's death is incredible.
This film may not have done her life justice, but it can be agreed by everyone that she was one of a kind. If I may borrow a little of what Marlene Dietrich once said about Edith Piaf, and that, to me, listening to Piaf is like being taken on a journey. It is not necessary to understand the words, because it reaches everyone. It is understood by everyone. For me, it has little to do with the words; it's that voice, the spell she casts over her audience, and the images it projects.