Dalida (2016)

Based on the true story of acclaimed music icon "Dalida" born in Cairo, who gained celebrity in the 50s, singing in French, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, German, Italian, playing in awarded ... See full summary »

Director:

Lisa Azuelos

Writers:

Catherine Rihoit (book), Orlando (book)

Stars:

Sveva Alviti, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jean-Paul Rouve

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sveva Alviti	...	Dalida
Riccardo Scamarcio	...	Orlando
Jean-Paul Rouve	...	Lucien Morisse
Niels Schneider	...	Jean Sobieski
Alessandro Borghi	...	Luigi Tenco
Nicolas Duvauchelle	...	Richard Chanfray
Valentina Carli	...	Rosy Gigliotti
Patrick Timsit	...	Bruno Coquatrix
Vincent Perez	...	Eddie Barclay
Laurent Bateau	...	Le Psy
Brenno Placido	...	Lucio Sanieri
Ercole Alviti	...	Garde du corps 1
Philippe Blondelle	...	Ami Dalida 1
F. Haydee Borelli	...	Giuseppina Gigliotti (as Haydee Borelli)
Marieke Bouillette	...	Chanteuse cabaret Drap d'Or

Storyline

Based on the true story of acclaimed music icon "Dalida" born in Cairo, who gained celebrity in the 50s, singing in French, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, German, Italian, playing in awarded Youssef Chahine's picture "Le Sixième Jour", and who later committed suicide in 1987 in Paris, after selling more than 130 million records worldwide

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | singing | new york city | cannes france | paris france | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany] Official site [Japan]

Country:

France

Language:

French Italian English Arabic

Release Date:

1 September 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dalida - Dömd att älska

Filming Locations:

San Remo, Imperia, Liguria, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

€15,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bethsabée Mucho,Pathé,TF1 Films Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dalida was already portrayed in mini series "Dalida" (2005) by Sabrina Ferilli.

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Goofs

The use of lip-syncing during the singing scenes is obvious throughout the movie.

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Connections

Features Oscar (1967)

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Soundtracks

Youssef Chahine
Composed by Jean-Claude Petit

User Reviews

Biopic so well rooted in reality, fitting easily even as a docu stand-in

With her powerful performances and dramatic emotional investment to her singing, unmatched even today, Egyptian born singer and actress, named by her Italian parents Yolanda Cristina Gigliotti, better known as Dalida, undoubtedly holds a unique place in the history of European and wider--including Middle East, Russia, Japan, Canada--popular music.

By the time I reached my teens (in early 1970's) a middle-aged gentleman from the neighbourhood has already accrued a good collection of Dalida's records, and that's how I was introduced to her singing, and remained her fan ever since, for four and half decades already. Contributive to that is the circumstance that last ten years I've been living and working in Lebanon, with Dalida's strong presence in its musical scene, and with her faithful audience, very much alive even three decades after her untimely demise.

That's why I have been very enthusiastic to see the movie based on her life, but also a bit concerned about it. Now that the movie is out and I have seen it, I'm very pleased to say that it has met my expectations to the greatest extent.

A number of elements are greatly contributing to the solid success and good quality of the French produced biopic, simply titled "Dalida" (2016). Based on my earlier findings and details known, story follows Dalida's life meticulously and faithfully, life filled with professional successes and personal torments and unhappiness. Actors have done an extraordinary job, which is especially important in the case of the leading actress, Sveva Alviti, who has brought to screen the title character--portrayed at the right measure, faithfully, decently and respectfully--but also actors impersonating key players in Dalida's life, her brothers (the younger one, Bruno-Orlando, plausibly depicted by Riccardo Scamarcio, performing as her career manager since 1966) as well as her professional companions, and partners in her private life. Finally, identification achieved thanks to the fascinating physical resemblance of the leading actress, as well as her successfully accomplished impression of Dalida's on-stage (and otherwise) presence and mannerisms, is certainly not disadvantageous.

According to her biographers, Dalida performed and recorded in more than ten different languages, while being fluent in at least half of that number. However, due to the fact that her career has shot to stardom in France, and her success has been most persistently maintained across the French-speaking music scene, lyrics of her songs are mainly in French. Therefore, to me, a non-French speaker, her songs were appealing primarily because of the power of her performance, ranging between its modest intimacy and dramatic intensity. Henceforth, only after watching this movie subtitled in English I have realized how much lyrics used in her songs were matching the on-goings in her own life. As if song makers and lyricist were retelling her life in real time. Having her screenplay based on the book written by Dalida's already mentioned brother Orlando, and thanks to proper choice of such songs with real life-relating lyrics, and their excellent timing, screenplay writer and director, Ms. Lisa Azuelos, has offered to the viewers most dramatic and suggestive revelations, easily implying such exciting, and--within the context of Dalida's private life troubled by failed relationships and personal difficulties, mishaps and tragedies--often touching connections between the songs and reality.

Though shot as biography feature film (biopic), meant primarily to entertain, then to inform, by appearing so well connected to reality, true to the facts, naturally gaining from the circumstance that the main actress is almost a dead ringer for Dalida, further inspired by clearly Dalida's own voice performing all included songs, it almost feels like watching a biography documentary.

To Dalida's faithful long-time followers, this is a great chance to reconfirm their fandom, to all others--including a co-spectator at the movie screening I attended, my wife Minnie--an excellent opportunity to get acquainted to this most gifted, duly celebrated singer, whose life was tragically cut short, but whose legacy, primarily her songs (but also, her high ranking as a personality, e.g. personality who had the greatest impact on French society), still lives and remains for posterity, as a pleasant reminder of her impressive and memorable talents.