La Vie en Rose (2007)

Biopic of the iconic French singer Édith Piaf. Raised by her grandmother in a brothel, she was discovered while singing on a street corner at the age of 19. Despite her success, Piaf's life was filled with tragedy.

Director:

Olivier Dahan

Writers:

Isabelle Sobelman, Olivier Dahan

Stars:

Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory

Won 2 Oscars. Another 45 wins & 61 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marion Cotillard	...	Edith Piaf
Sylvie Testud	...	Mômone
Pascal Greggory	...	Louis Barrier
Emmanuelle Seigner	...	Titine
Jean-Paul Rouve	...	Louis Gassion
Gérard Depardieu	...	Louis Leplée
Clotilde Courau	...	Anetta
Jean-Pierre Martins	...	Marcel Cerdan
Catherine Allégret	...	Louise
Marc Barbé	...	Raymond Asso
Caroline Silhol	...	Marlene Dietrich
Manon Chevallier	...	Edith - 5 years old
Pauline Burlet	...	Edith - 10 years old
Élisabeth Commelin	...	Danielle Bonel (as Elisabeth Commelin)
Marc Gannot	...	Marc Bonel

Storyline

An un-chronological look at the life of the Little Sparrow, Édith Piaf (1915-1963). Her mother is an alcoholic street singer, her father a circus performer, her paternal grandmother a madam. During childhood she lives with each of them. At 20, she's a street singer discovered by a club owner who's soon murdered, coached by a musician who brings her to concert halls, and then quickly famous. Constant companions are alcohol and heartache. The tragedies of her love affair with Marcel Cerdan and the death of her only child belie the words of one of her signature songs, "Non, je ne regrette rien." The back and forth nature of the narrative suggests the patterns of memory and association.

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Plot Keywords:

female singer | title based on song | based on true story | singer | singing | 

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Taglines:

The extraordinary life of Edith Piaf

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for substance abuse, sexual content, brief nudity, language and thematic elements

Details

Country:

France UK Czech Republic

Language:

French English

Release Date:

20 July 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

La Vie en Rose

Filming Locations:

Brasserie Julien, 16 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, Paris 10, Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£205,659 (United Kingdom), 22 June 2007, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$179,848, 10 June 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$10,301,706

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$88,613,761

Company Credits

Production Co:

Légende Films, TF1 International, TF1 Films Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Olivier Dahan wrote the script with Marion Cotillard in mind as Édith Piaf before he had even met her, because he noticed a similarity between Piaf's and Cotillard's eyes.

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Goofs

Just before Edith drives the convertible, a caption reads "California, August 1955." The car is a 1956 Chevrolet, introduced in November 1955.

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Quotes

Edith Piaf: In three months... that's right, in April, I'll be a hit at the Olympic. With a full house, we'll be flush.
Louise: Edith, your liver cells are not functioning normally. You've been ill. You need rest. It's serious.
Edith Piaf: I'm just 44. I'm not in the tomb yet.

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Connections

Referenced in The Great L.A. Pretenders: Meet the Pretenders (2008)

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Soundtracks

Du Gris
Music by Ferdinand-Louis Bénech
Lyrics by Ernest Dumont
Performed by Jil Aigrot

User Reviews

No Regrets

It is a crime that most people in America do not know of Piaf or her music. Or if they do it is thanks to the Grace Jones version of LA VIE EN ROSE (which is not half bad).

Marion Cotillard as Piaf was a dream to watch... particularly when she played the older Piaf. Her pain, her loss came through exquisitely. And even the two actresses who played Piaf earlier in life were excellent. The director - Olivier Dahan - has been criticized (and rightly so) in other postings. But in the case of the 3 Piafs he has done his job well, creating the full character of the woman.

And for me the highlight was toward the end when Piaf sings NON,JE NE REGRETTE RIEN (NO REGRETS). The song written for Piaf is a summation of the film and her life. And for the first time in a VERY long time, I actually had tears on my face in a cinema.

That alone is a very high recommendation.