LA VIE EN ROSE [La Môme Piaf] [2007 / 2008] [Blu-ray + DVD] [UK Release]
The Most Astonishing Immersive Performance of Marion Cotillard!
An astonishing biopic featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Marion Cotillard as the iconic French singer Édith Piaf. From the slums of Paris to the limelight of New York, Édith Piaf's life was a battle to sing and survive, live and love. Raised in poverty, her magical voice and her passionate romances and friendships with the greatest names of the period – Yves Montand, Jean Cocteau, Charles Aznavour, Marlene Dietrich, Marcel Cerdan and others – made her a star all around the world. But in Edith's audacious attempt to tame her tragic destiny, “The Little Sparrow” – her nickname – flew so high she could not fail to burn her wings.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 2007 African-American Film Critics Association: Win: Best Actress for Marion Cotillard. 2007 Berlin International Film Festival: Nomination: Golden Berlin Bear Award for Olivier Dahan. 2007 British Independent Film Awards: Nomination: Best Foreign Independent Film. 2007 European Film Awards: Nomination: Audience Award: Best European Film for Olivier Dahan. Nomination: European Film Award: European Actress for Marion Cotillard. Nomination: Prix d'Excellence: Didier Lavergne for Makeup. 2007 Hollywood Film Awards: Win: Actress of the Year for Marion Cotillard. 2007 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards: Win: Best Actress for Marion Cotillard. 2007 Philadelphia Film Festival: Win: Audience Award: Best Feature Film for Olivier Dahan. 2007 Sannio FilmFest: Win: Best Actress for Marion Cotillard. 2007 Seattle International Film Festival: Golden Space Needle Award: Best Actress for Marion Cotillard. 2007 SESC Film Festival, Brazil: Win: Audience Award: Best Foreign Actress (Melhor Atriz Estrangeira) for Marion Cotillard. Win: Critics Award: Best Foreign Actress (Melhor Atriz Estrangeira) for Marion Cotillard. 2008 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Marion Cotillard. Win: Best Achievement in Makeup for Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald. Nomination: Best Achievement in Costume Design for Marit Allen. 2008 Golden Globes: Win: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture in a Comedy or Musical for Marion Cotillard. 2008 BAFTA Film Awards: Win: Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music for Christopher Gunning. Win: BAFTA Film Award: Best Leading Actress for Marion Cotillard. Win: BAFTA Film Award: Best Costume Design for Marit Allen. Win: BAFTA Film Award: Best Make Up and Hair for Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald. Nomination: BAFTA Film Award: Best Film Not in the English Language for Alain Goldman and Olivier Dahan. Nomination: BAFTA Film Award: Best Production Design for Olivier Raoux. Nomination: BAFTA Film Award: Best Sound for Jean-Paul Hurier, Laurent Zeilig, Marc Doisne and Pascal Villard. Nomination: BAFTA Film Award: Best Production Design/Art Direction for Légende Films (production company), Okko Productions (co-production), Olivier Raoux (production designer), Stanislas Reydellet (art director), Songbird Pictures (co-production), TF1 Films Production (co-production) and TF1 International (co-production). 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Nomination: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for Marion Cotillard. 2008 Costume Designers Guild Awards: Nomination: Excellence in Period Film for Marit Allen (Posthumously). 2008 César Awards, France: Win: Best Actress (Meilleure actrice) for Marion Cotillard. Win: Best Cinematography (Meilleure photographie) for Tetsuo Nagata. Win: Best Production Design (Meilleurs décors) for Olivier Raoux. Win: Best Costume Design (Meilleurs costumes) for Marit Allen (Posthumously). Win: Best Sound (Meilleur son) for Jean-Paul Hurier, Laurent Zeilig, Marc Doisne and Pascal Villard. Nomination: Best Film (Meilleur film) for Alain Goldman (producer) and Olivier Dahan (director). Nomination: Best Supporting Actor (Meilleur acteur dans un second rôle) for Pascal Greggory. Nomination: Best Supporting Actress (Meilleure actrice dans un second rôle) for Sylvie Testud. Nomination: Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur) for Olivier Dahan. Nomination: Best Original Screenplay (Meilleur scénario original) for Olivier Dahan. Nomination: Best Editing (Meilleur montage) for Richard Marizy and Yves Beloniak. 2008 Globes de Cristal Awards, France: Nomination: Best Film (Meilleur film) for Olivier Dahan. Nomination: Best Actress (Meilleure actrice) for Marion Cotillard. 2008 London Critics Circle Film Awards: Win: Actress of the Year for Marion Cotillard. 2008 Lumiere Awards, France: Win: Lumiere Award: Best Actress (Meilleure comédienne) for Marion Cotillard. Win: World Audience Award: Olivier Dahan. Nomination: Lumiere Award: Best Film (Meilleur film) for Olivier Dahan (director). Lumiere Award: Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur) for Olivier Dahan (director). 2008 Palm Springs International Film Festival: Win: Breakthrough Performance Award for Marion Cotillard. 2008 Santa Barbara International Film Festival: Win: Virtuoso Award for Marion Cotillard. 2008 Étoiles d'Or, France: Win: Best Actress (Premier rôle féminin) for Marion Cotillard.
FILM FACT No.2: Marion Cotillard was chosen by director Olivier Dahan to portray the French singer Édith Piaf in the biopic ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] even before he had even met her, saying that he noticed a similarity between Edith Piaf's and Marion Cotillard's eyes. Producer Alain Goldman accepted and defended the choice even though distributors TFM reduced the money they gave to finance the film thinking Marion Cotillard wasn't “bankable” enough an actress. Four songs were entirely performed by “Parigote” singer Jil Aigrot: "Mon Homme" (My Man), "Les Mômes de la Cloche" (The kids of the bell), “Mon Légionnaire” (My Legionnaire), “Les Hiboux” (Owls) as well as the third verse and chorus of “L'Accordéoniste” (The accordionist) and the first chorus of “Padam, padam...”
Cast: Marion Cotillard, Gérard Depardieu, Sylvie Testud, Emmanuelle Seigner, Pascal Greggory, Catherine Allégret, Jean-Paul Rouve, Clotilde Courau, Marie-Armelle Deguy, Marc Barbé, Caroline Raynaud, Denis Ménochet, Pavlína NÄ›mcová, Harry Hadden-Paton, Caroline Sihol (Marlene Dietrich), Manon Chevallier (Édith Piaf 5 years old), Pauline Burlet (Édith Piaf 10 years old), Élisabeth Commelin, Marie-Armelle Deguy, Jean-Paul Muel, André Penvern, Mario Hacquard, Aubert Fenoy, Félix Belleau, Édith Le Merdy, William Armstrong, Pierre Derenne, Jean-Jacques Desplanque, Alban Casterman (Charles Aznavour), Olivier Carbone (Transvestite), Jil Aigrot (Edith Piaf singing voice), Eric Dahan (uncredited), David Fellowes (uncredited), Gérard Robert Gratadour (uncredited), Anika Julien (uncredited), Jean-Luc Julien (uncredited), Lana Likic (uncredited), Ryan McBay (uncredited), Alexandre Mermaz (uncredited), Chloé Perrier (uncredited), Vit Sky (uncredited), Chris Toma (uncredited) and Marek Vasut (uncredited)
Director: Olivier Dahan
Producers: Alain Goldman, Axel Decis, Catherine Morisse, Marc Jenny, Marc Vadé, Oldrich Mach and Timothy Burrill
Screenplay: Isabelle Sobelman and Olivier Dahan
Composer: Christopher Gunning
Make-up and Hair Department: Amélie Bouilly [Make-up Artist], David White [Prosthetic Make-up designer], Didier Lavergne {Key Make-up Artist], Elisa Costa [Make-up Artist], Gabriela Polakova [Make-up Artist], Matthew Smith [Prosthetic Make-up Artist], Barbara Kichi [Hair stylist], Catherine Jabes [Key hair stylist: Second unit],Ivo Strangmüller [Hair stylist], Jan Archibald [Key hair stylist], Linda Eisenhamerova [Hair stylist], Loulia Sheppard [Hair stylist], Marie-France Thibault [Additional Hair stylist], Ruzena Novotna [Hair stylist], Stephanie Hovette [Wig maker], Jemma Scott-Knox-Gore[Contact lens coordinator], Richard Glass [Contact lens optician], Chris Lyons [Special effects teeth] and Nathaniel De'Lineadeus [Dental effects designer]
Costume Design: Marit Allen
Cinematography: Tetsuo Nagata, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: Blu-ray: 1080p + DVD: 1080i
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Panavision Anamorphic)
Blu-ray Audio: French: 5.1 DTS-HD High Resolution
DVD Audio: French: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 140 minutes
Region: Region B/2 + PAL
Number of discs: 2
Studio: LÉGENDE Films / ICON Home Entertainment
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] [2007] is set in the gritty part of early 20th-century Paris, the biopic film delves into the life of Édith Piaf in the 1930’s France, whose stirring songs of love's joys and sorrows made her a household name.
In her 47 years, Édith Piaf [1915 – 1963], was the amazing acclaimed French Chanteuse/Singer, and experienced a roller-coaster ride of exhilarating highs and incredibly depressing lows. Abandoned as a child by her Italian mother, she never got over being rejected; it stayed with her as a raw wound in her psyche and heart. During World War One, her father took her to live with his mother who ran a house of prostitution. Édith Piaf was looked after by Titine [Emmanuelle Seigner] who grew very much emotionally attached to Édith Piaf. Édith Piaf as a little girl joins the circus with her father and then is forced to live the vagabond's life on the streets with him. Édith Piaf surprises herself and her father when she first sings for coins in the streets.
Édith Piaf [Marion Cotillard] is discovered by promoter and entrepreneur Louis Leplee [Gerard Depardieu] who hears her sing and immediately hires her to perform in his nightclub under the new name of Édith Piaf which means “The Little Sparrow.” Unfortunately the nightclub owner Louis Leplee is killed, and Édith Piaf is totally heartbroken by the death of this dear friend, plus Édith Piaf addicted to morphine, and sadly died at the age of 47. The tiny Édith Piaf “The Little Sparrow” had little to celebrate except for her enormous, wondrous voice. So when the chance for true happiness with boxer Marcel Cerdan [Jean-Pierre Martins] is dashed forever, who is killed in an aeroplane crash is nothing short of devastating for Édith Piaf in losing the love of her life. And then, of course, there is her classic swan songs and music, which aptly takes centre stage in this film, especially “Non, je ne regrette rien” (“I regret nothing”) Édith Piaf sings and how noble, and how sad those words now seem.
Director Olivier Dahan has fashioned an emotionally powerful screen portrait of the famous French singer who was once told by the actress Caroline Sihol [Marlene Dietrich] that her voice was “the soul of Paris.” Director Olivier Dahan wisely uses the original recordings of Édith Piaf's voice. The film occasionally tries to over reach itself by trying to include far too many details of extraneous matters, but the film compensates itself with the superb performance of Marion Cotillard and wipes all this away especially in the astonishingly effective closing scenes of Édith Piaf's story. Director Olivier Dahan was at one time a painter, and this shows the artistic emphasis wanted us the viewer to see vividly Édith Piaf's story come across in throughout the film.
Overall, ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] and the actress Marion Cotillard is stunning as Édith Piaf, convincingly assimilating the musician's looks and poise, lip synching to Édith Piaf's songs like the woman herself. On top of all that, Marion Cotillard also ages remarkably well and there is not a whiff of pantomime dame in her “elderly” make up, that is why at the 2008 Academy Awards® Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald Won Best Achievement in Makeup for ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf].
The supporting cast and production design that director Olivier Dahan has built around her and supports Marion Cotillard much more than his urge to toy with the narrative rather than tell a straight story. But ultimately ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] succeeds in telling us an involving and moving version life story of Édith Piaf's life, giving us the reasons why Édith Piaf told such a story of heartbreak and defiance through her music career, makes this film a must watch.
Please Note: Although the Bly-ray have been provided with the English subtitles, well sadly LÉGENDE Films and ICON Home Entertainment have done a very poor professional job in this department, as we should have had the English subtitles every time someone speaks in French, but instead we basically only get a small amount of the English subtitles and of course I found this very frustrating in not knowing what someone was saying in French when it does not appear at the bottom of the screen.
LA VIE EN ROSE [La Môme Piaf] MUSIC TRACK LIST
HEAVEN HAVE A MERCY (Music by Philippe-Gérard) (Lyrics by Jacques Larue) [Performed by Édith Piaf]
IL M’A VU NUE (Music by Fred Pearly and Pierre Chagnon) (Lyrics by Rip) [Performed by Emmanuelle Seigner and Mistinguett]
CRI DU COEUR (Music by Henri Crolla) (Lyrics by Jacques Prévert) [Performed by Édith Piaf]
DU GRIS (Music by Ferdinand-Louis Bénech) (Lyrics by Ernest Dumont) [Performed by Jil Aigrot]
LA MARSEILLAISE (Music by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle) (Lyrics by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle) [Performed by Cassandre Berger]
L'ÉTRANGER (Music by Marguerite Monnot and Robert Juel) (Lyrics by Robert Malleron) [Performed by Damia and Jil Aigrot]
LA VIE EN ROSE (Music by Louiguy) (French lyrics by Édith Piaf) (English lyrics by Mack David) [Performed by Édith Piaf and Frédéric Foret]
PADAM… PADAM… (Music by Norbert Glanzberg) (Lyrics by Henri Contet) [Performed by Jil Aigrot]
NON, JE NE REGRETTE RIEN (Music by Charles Dumont) (Lyrics by Michel Vaucaire) [Performed by Mario Hacquard and Édith Piaf]
MOI… JE M’ENNUIE (Music by Wal-Berg) (Lyrics by Camille François) [Performed by Clotilde Courau]
LA PETITE TONKINOISE (Music by Vincent Scotto) (Lyrics by Henri Christiné and Georges Villard) [Performed by Esther Lekain]
FROU-FROU (Music by Henri Chatau) (Lyrics by Hector Monréal and Henri Blondeau) [Performed by Lucile Panis and Marion Cotillard]
LA FOULE (Music by Angel Cabral) (Lyrics by Michel Rivgauche) [Performed by Édith Piaf]
RIEN DE RIEN (Music by Pierre Roche) (Lyrics by Charles Aznavour) [Performed by Édith Piaf]
FASCINATION (Music by Fermo Dante Marchetti) (Lyrics by Maurice de Féraudy) [Performed by Maya Barsony]
LES MÔMES DE LA CLOCHE (Music by Vincent Scotto) (Lyrics by Decaye) [Performed by Jil Aigrot]
LES HIBOUX (Music by Paul Dalbret) (Lyrics by Paul Dalbret and Eugène Joullot) [Performed by Jil Aigrot]
L’ACCORDÉONISTE (Music by Michel Emer) (Lyrics by Michel Emer) [Performed by Aubert Fenoy and Jil Aigrot]
MON DIEU (Music by Charles Dumont) (Lyrics by Michel Vaucaire) [Performed by Édith Piaf]
HYMNE À L’AMOUR (Music by Marguerite Monnot) (Lyrics by Édith Piaf) [Performed by Édith Piaf and Frédéric Foret]
MILORD (Music by Marguerite Monnot) (Lyrics by Georges Moustaki) [Performed by Édith Piaf]
MON LÉGIONNAIRE (Music by Marguerite Monnot) (Lyrics by Raymond Asso) [Performed by Alceo Passeo and Jil Aigrot]
COMME UN MOINEAU (Music by Jean Lenoir) (Lyrics by Marc-Hély) [Performed by Jil Aigrot]
MON HOMME (Music by Maurice Yvain) (Lyrics by Albert Willemetz and Jacques Charles) [Performed by Igor Outkine and Jil Aigrot]
MON MANÈGE À MOI (Music by Norbert Glanzberg) (Lyrics by Jean Constantin) [Performed by Édith Piaf and Noël Glanzberg]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – LÉGENDE Films and ICON Home Entertainment presents us the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] with an awesome 1080p image and is enhanced with a 2.35:1 (Panavision Anamorphic) aspect ratio. But most of all the film looks fantastic. The film also conveys an impeccable contrast, terrific clarity and excellent detail. The colour scheme is also outstanding, especially yellows, reds, greens, blues, browns, blacks and whites look fantastic and especially the image is tight to the frame yet natural looking. The actual print is also notably healthy – there are absolutely no debris, scratches, specks or dirt on it. Simply put, this is a fantastic presentation of a fantastic film. But most importantly you also have English subtitles to help you enjoy this film. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – LÉGENDE Films and ICON Home Entertainment brings us the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] with a choice of either French: 5.1 DTS-HD High Resolution and the audio track does not disappoint. The bass is deep and potent, the rear channels very active and the high frequencies not overdone. The dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Furthermore, there are absolutely no cracks, pops, hissings, or dropouts that I detected. The balance between the dialogue and the music is outstanding. All in all, LÉGENDE Films and ICON Home Entertainment have provided terrific French: 5.1 DTS-HD High Resolution audio track experience that truly does justice to this outstanding film. On top of all that, the track is also rather very pleasing, but it certainly fairs well. But overall the dialogue is as crisp and clear on this French audio track.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: French Theatrical Trailer [2007] [1080p] [2.35:1] [1:48] With this featurette, we get to view the French Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf].
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DVD Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Making of ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] [2007] [1080i] [1.37:1] [25:54] With this featurette, we get a very in-depth look of behind the-scene shooting of the 2007 film and it is all in French, but luckily it has 100% English subtitles throughout the featurette, plus we also get to view lots of scenes from the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf]. We also get lots of personal in-depth views from the main people involved with the film, which is totally fascinating and we hear what was said throughout this featurette. We are informed that Olivier Dahan [Réalisateur / Director] was sent a text message one day, on the 2nd January, 2004 in which Alain Goldman [Producer] said that he has this idea for “A big romantic film, with wide appeal, that is sentimental tragic, and a big International film, a big French film, a film about Édith Piaf. Olivier Dahan says, “I got into the story through photos of Édith Piaf, but not the usual photos of Édith Piaf that we know where she’s on stage in a little dress, but ones where she’s young around 20 years of age. In three photos, she’s even a child.” Alain Goldman says, “I’m interested in Olivier Dahan take on Édith Piaf, and not to have the life of Édith Piaf, but I’m interested in a life of Édith Piaf and the story of Édith Piaf. Knowing Olivier Dahan as a director and a friend, and knew that he had vision, because he loves music and childhood too much, which again he loves too much and not to have something to say about life of Édith Piaf. Olivier Dahan says, “From outset, I wanted it to be an intimate portrait of Édith Piaf but not necessarily a historical film. From her earliest years, she’s dragged from one place to another; she’s constantly pushed around by adults, so even though it’s not ultra-violent, it was still enough to traumatise her I think. Her mother doesn’t look after her, her father doesn’t either really, she was lugged from grandparent to grandparent, and she’s foisted on everyone. So she grows up in an unsettling environment. This kind of solitude or this feeling that nobody loves her. I think is something that instils itself very early on. The relationship with Mômone is one friendship in adversity, which they really had a hard time of it. They were the same age, but one was slightly younger, but they were something like 14 or 15. And it’s Édith Piaf who takes her a long way from her parents, to have her as an assistant, a street assistant.” Marion Cotillard says, “At that time, Édith Piaf meets Louis Leplée [Gérard Depardieu] who discovers her, and starts to let something happen completely . . . It’s the revelation of Édith Piaf at that moment, and it’s huge.” Alain Goldman says, “Her life is a novel, even without her talent as a singer. Everything she experienced in her life is in itself a story.” Olivier Dahan days, “For me, she’s the prototype of the artist, in that she systematically and constantly mixes her art and her life.” Marion Cotillard says, “It’s the immensity of this little woman, the radiance, the aura as they say.” Olivier Dahan says, “Systematically, she enriches the songs with her experiences, and she provokes these experiences in order to enrich her songs, She’s like a kid who, at a certain point, she has power to do whatever she wants. But she’s still a kid having fun. Édith Piaf was mucked around a lot, but she loved to have fun and not talk herself seriously.” Pascal Greggory says, “Édith Piaf is the epitome of the parody of the artist, in the more we’re in the limelight, the darker of her private life becomes. That’s the reason why Olivier Dahan made the film. Marion Cotillard says, “Marcel Cerdan [Jean-Pierre Martins] death was shattering for Édith Piaf, and from that moment, well, it corresponds with New York in 1947, when Édith Piaf goes over there and has a great career and it corresponds. And that’s how her life it’s filled with great happiness, which is always swept aside by tragedy. Luckily, she has a man like Louis Barrier who looked after everything, because she remained a child almost the whole time.” Olivier Dahan says, “It’s clear that Édith Piaf didn’t care about much, except love and friendship. On the financial side of things, she always had the same relationship with money, which was “you sing a song, you get the money.” It’s like on the street, she did the same thing on stage, even when she was world famous. I think the great strength of Édith Piaf is to have surrounded herself with the finest, most remarkable people, whether it’s her composer, the musicians or her manager, the great impresario.” Marion Cotillard says, “Édith Piaf met people who brought culture to her, whether it’s Jacques Brel or Jean Cocteau, and there are lots of people in her life, who she wanted to be taught.” Alain Goldman says, “Olivier Dahan first thought was Marion Cotillard, and when Olivier Dahan spoke to me abiut it, I knew that it ws a good idea, because Marion Cotillard is a talented actress, but I also knew that given the size of the budget, but I also knew that given the size of the budget, and the fact that Édith Piaf wasn’t yet that well known outside France, that it would make it harder for me to get the financing for the film.” Olivier Dahan says, “Marion Cotillard was the obvious choice for me. But I don’t know why she wasn’t obvious for others.” Marion Cotillard says, “Olivier Dahan always said to me, “I don’t want to see just Édith Piaf, I don’t want to an Édith Piaf imitation, which I really didn’t want to do, and all the preparation I had done for the film, was not at all in that direction, except you always want to be like her.” Olivier Dahan says, “When we studied Édith Piaf’s songs closely, they’re not as simple as they seem, the way she presents the rhythm, her phrasing and breathing, so it was a pretty technical task for Marion Cotillard who sings so well, so I think I’ll keep – this wasn’t what we’d planned – I think I’ll keep Marion Cotillard’s voice for one or two passages, but I wanted Édith Piaf’s voice. That was a starting point, having the voice of Édith Piaf in the film.” Marion Cotillard says, “Oh the playbacks, I have to keep plugging away, because it’s really hard work. It’s one of the hardest part of the film, because if it doesn’t work.” Olivier Dahan says, “Marion Cotillard was generally very nervous during the playbacks more so, I thought that when we had acting scenes that I thought were much harder.” Marion Cotillard says, “As Édith Piaf interpret her songs so incredibly well, there’s something so, it’s the whole thing of “Chanson réaliste” telling stories, for example, in order to find her way of talking, her voice and everything, I took her songs, and in order to sing them, I spoke them. The difficulty was playing a woman of 47, who looks 15 years older, and behaving like a kid, I can even fall asleep in normal make-up, I have to fall asleep. It’s best for everyone. And the first time they did the ageing, I fall asleep, I woke up and I saw my face, I am on a bed, like that, in front of a mirror. I wake up, and the first thing I see, if I don’t look left of right, is my face. And even though I should be used to it, because there’ve been plenty of days, and plenty to come, every time I wake up and see my face, it’s quite something.” Didier Lavergne says, “Actress Marion Cotillard allowed us to shave her head a bit, so we could raise her hairline, which isn’t in the same as Édith Piaf’s, who had a large forehead, and very stiff hair. So we put on a bald cap, a false pate, then we started putting on the prosthetics. Once they’re on, we have another application of latex on the skin, to give an appearance of age of skin that’s been ravaged by the excessive of life. Then there’s a lot of make-up and painting done on the latex and the prosthetics and then we put on the wig and then generally she’s ready, and as old as we like.” Marion Cotillard says, “During the five hours of make-up, I inhale paint and alcohol and I can’t stand them touching me anymore. So I grin and bear it. I hate not doing something on my own, with the clothes I wear. There’s a knitting scene, and I don’t know how to knit, what do we do? Well, I learn to knit! So I learnt to knit, and I loved it. It helped to pass time and I also made some lovely scarves, because I can’t do anything else.” Olivier Dahan says, “Yeah, Marion Cotillard had Édith Piaf’s habits, the knitting, when she has the time or when she’s bored, she knits. Édith Piaf did that, I think.” Marion Cotillard says, “Yeah, Édith Piaf loved it. She never finished anything, which is good for me. And she did very simple stitches, which is also good for me. So, I got pretty quick at it.” Olivier Dahan says, “It kept her completely immersed in the character, during the four months of filming, Marion Cotillard never came out of character. There were lot of characters in the film. I didn’t want to only have familiar faces. Because there are a lot of characters, it made the casting quite difficult.” Pascal Greggory says, “Édith Piaf was certainly unique. Édith Piaf was extraordinary, she was the greatest, so I had to be a great manager and my character was very close to her, who in my opinion, and in a few people’s opinion, must have been very much in love with her, perhaps a fling together. One of the rare people who is part of Édith Piaf’s “court,” her close entourage, who addressed her not with the “tu” form, but with “vous,” and a very respectful man, with integrity, a kind of guardian angel I would say.” Sylvie Testud says, “I play the character Simone "Mômone" Berteaut, who was her best friend, who was like a half-sister to her, her best friend, and eventually one of her worst friends. She’s someone who punctuated Édith Piaf’s life and who followed her private life and became dependent on her.” Jean-Paul Rouve says, “I play Édith Piaf’s father, a nice father, more or less. The Difficulties of life at that time and sometimes make him not nice, and sometimes nicer. Apparently he’s the only person in her family who she still loves, because she asked to be buried with him.” Olivier Dahan says, “The character Titine played by Emmanuelle Seigner, when Édith Piaf grows up in her grandmothers brothel, the character Titine doesn’t exist, she’s not there, but I thought that having Édith Piaf spent a long period in the brothel, she would have become close with the prostitutes there. Titine for example, is both an invention and, for me, it follows from the simple logic of human relations.” Emmanuelle Seigner says, “I didn’t concentrate on the fact that she was a prostitute. My inspiration was more . . . almost imagining that this character was Saint Thérèse of Lisieux OCD and to create a character who’s completely . . . a bit mystical.” Clotilde Courau says, “At first I had a feeling of rejection in terms of the mother, because she’s a very violent character, very hard and very dark. I see her as a madwoman who’s fallen into drugs, who can’t do anything, right, especially with a child.” Jean-Pierre Martins says, “The hardest part was trying to have a boxers instinct, and I’m not a boxer. For it all had to be believable, and not just when it’s choreographed, it needed to be, even if we have to box without choreography, it needs to be believable.” Olivier Dahan says, “I don’t have a specific memory of the first time I heard an Édith Piaf song, I guess things like that are just floating around in the air. So I don’t have a specific memory.” Jean-Pierre Martins says, “I really like the way Olivier Dahan works, as his directing brings a lot more to the actors, than you might think. He has a way of talking about the characters and the scenes like that, with little touches, leaving a lot unsaid. I really like this was of directing, without seeming to.” Olivier Dahan says, “I try to create passages and bridges are more about emotion, and that the bridges are more about emotions and with the association of ideas, we go from one period to another, not necessarily chronologically, but with memories coming or going like non sequences.” Marion Cotillard says, “I approached the scenes like dances, the long shots which he does, for example. Everywhere he puts his camera, he’s looking for music. A five-minute shot, it’s long. Especially as there are a great deal of emotions to go through and completely contradictory emotions. So I had to take my marks. It was a technical thing, really. And I remember that day I spent a lot of time in the corridor, because the corridor is very long. Édith Piaf has a short life, but she still loved each second of her near 48 years with intensity. That’s why she’s so amazing.” At that point, this fascinating and very insightful featurette comes to an end. Contributors include: Alain Goldman [Producer], Olivier Dahan [Réalisateur / Director], Marion Cotillard [Édith Piaf], Pascal Greggory [Louis Barrier], Didier Lavergne [Best Make-up Award], Sylvie Testud [Mômone], Jean-Paul Rouve [Louis Gassion], Emmanuelle Seigner [Titine], Clotilde Courau [Anetta] and Jean-Pierre Martins [Marcel Cerdan].
Special Feature: Deleted Scenes [2007] [480i] [1.37:1] [10:09] With this featurette, you get to view seven deleted scenes that did not make it into the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf]. The first deleted scene we get to view where we are informed is entitled “Prologue.” The next deleted scene we get to view is where Édith Piaf is very ill in an American hospital and is very rude to a young man who came to see how she was, but walks out because Édith Piaf rants in a very nasty rude way to the young man. The next deleted scene we get to view is entitled “once too often,” where a very young child Édith Piaf is in the brothel drawing a picture of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux OCD [1873 – 1897]. The next deleted scene we get to view is of a very ill old Édith Piaf laying and viewing a garden and receives a phone call from her friend Mr. Cocteau. The next deleted scene we get to view, we view Édith Piaf after attending the boxing match in the bathroom not very well. The next deleted scene we get to view, is of a scene where there is an announcement from Édith Piaf about a marriage in a New York apartment, and Édith Piaf is sitting around a table with three other friends. The final deleted scene we get to view, is a scene that would have come at the end of the film, where we see Édith Piaf in bed very ill and remembering a letter written by Édith Piaf, but also remembering her drugged up mother making a fool of herself with people walking past her.
Special Feature: Édith Piaf in New York [2007] [1080i] [1.37:1] [12:43] With this featurette, we get to view footage of the premiere of the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] in New York, with director Olivier Dahan and actress Marion Cotillard's meeting with the press, the interviews they did, and other items and it was filmed by TF1 Video and Colby Company and also shows the whistle stop tour of all the venues in The Big Apple, and at the same time we get to view a few clips from the 2007 film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf]. We also get to see Marion Cotillard an interview in French. Everywhere Marion Cotillard goes around New York at different venues, the people call her a rising “Star” in the making and gives massive high praise for her portrayal of Édith Piaf and we get to hear New Yorkers giving their high praise on the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] and also comments of the performance of Marion Cotillard on how she captured Édith Piaf in the most perfect and outstanding performance. Contributors include: Marion Cotillard [Édith Piaf], Olivier Dahan [Réalisateur / Director], Alain Goldman [Producer], Bob Berney [Président and Chief Executive Officer of Picturehouse], Stephen Holt [American Journalist] and Laurent Grégoire [Agent for Marion Cotillard].
Special Feature: Édith Piaf, that object of desire [2007] [480i] [1.37:1] [26:49] With this featurette, Allerton Films présente “PIAF cet abscur subject of desire” [that object of desire]. The first part of this featurette where we get to view a book written by Simone Berteaut entitled “PIAF” that was written by her half-sister Simone "Mômone" Berteaut and Simone Berteaut dedicate the book to Édith Piaf, and explains why he feels Édith Piaf is a French National Treasure, and of course writes about her tragic upbringing when Édith Piaf was a very young child, and about becoming a rising singing sensation in France. Throughout this featurette, we get to hear the French Narrator/Actress Laurence Haziza reading passages from the book “PIAF cet abscur subject of desire.” We also get to hear passages read from the book by Ginou Richer entitled “Piaf, mon amie” and narrated by Caroline Raynaud. We also get to hear from Film Critic Elise Domenach of Postif and Catherine Dutheil-Pessin giving their critical opinions on the 2007 film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] and the performance of the actress Marion Cotillard as Édith Piaf and also their opinion on the director Olivier Dahan for the film LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf]. Once again we get to view a few clips from the 2007 film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf]. We also get to view some B/W images of Édith Piaf when she was a young child and also in her early days on becoming a rising singing sensation in France. We also get to view a rare B/W 1961 French TV Broadcast with the French Théo Sarapo singing with Édith Piaf the song “À Quoi Ça Sert L'amour?” and a few years later they got married in October 1962 in the 16th arrondissement Town Hall in the Greek Orthodox church of Paris. We also get to view another rare B/W French TV Broadcast with just Édith Piaf on a stage singing to a much appreciated audience, but we are not informed what year it was broadcast. Contributors include: Élise Domenach [Associate Professor in Film Studies, Ecole Normale Supérieure / Critique de Cinéma for POSITIF], Catherine Dutheil Pessin [Sociologue and Author of “La Chanson Réaliste”] and Maya Barsony [Chanteuse/French Songwriter and Singer].
Finally, the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] [2007] by writer/director Olivier Dahan's biopic is a beautifully filmed and grippingly story told and the iconic French singer Édith Piaf, as played by the brilliant and outstanding actress Marion Cotillard in her Oscar-winning performance of the legend that was Édith Piaf. Of course Édith Piaf was a very complicated and equally compelling stuff of legend. But although the film is impressive, but is not able to bring viewers close enough to its subject “The Little Sparrow,” because of Édith Piaf’s long and very complicated life, but if they did try to cram every aspect of Édith Piaf’s life, it would make the film about four hours long, and I am sure any audience would not endure that type of length of time in one sitting. But despite this, the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] ends on an emotional high with Édith Piaf's rendition of “Non, je ne regrette rien,” a song that scoops up in its embrace of a lifetime of struggle and triumph for the amazing French singing sensation Édith Piaf. From a strictly story-based perspective, but some critics felt there was nothing special or remarkable about the film ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] However, but I feel the appearance of the amazing actress Marion Cotillard brought Édith Piaf to life; it then becomes a totally worthy investment for the viewer's 140 minutes endurance. In many ways, Marion Cotillard is not just the glue that holds the film together; Marion Cotillard is the film that portrays Édith Piaf’s long and complicated life so well. Of course this is not the first time Édith Piaf's life has been brought to life via the silver screen and it probably won't be the last, but Marion Cotillard makes this particular version stand apart. Because at the 2008 Academy Awards® Marion Cotillard won for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for ‘LA VIE EN ROSE’ [La Môme Piaf] and totally deserved this award and that is why this film is definitely a must view, especially to see the brilliant actress Marion Cotillard bring to life Édith Piaf as the wonderful “The Little Sparrow.” Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
