As might be guessed from its title, La Vie en Rose is a biopic about the legendary chanteuse, and all round French national treasure, Edith Piaf. At the heart of the film is a remarkably accurate physical and emotional recreation of Piaf by Marion Cotillard; an Oscar wining portrayal, which reveals a character who could be by turns, exuberant, obnoxious and heart-breakingly fragile.
Framed by the final few days of Piaf’s life, director Oliver Dahan uses flashbacks to tell the rest of her story. Tying key events together to show the knock on effect they had to the rest of her life, as well as illustrating that the cliché of singing from life experience was, in Piaf’s case at least, rooted in truth.
But even with a running time of 134 minutes, Piaf’s life was so eventful some key passages had to be sacrificed in either script or editing room. For example, no mention is made of the controversy surrounding her wartime experiences, whilst the death of her only child is briefly mentioned towards the end of the film - an approach intended to retrospectively explain some of her previous behaviour, but not one that works in any satisfying way. Other parts of her life feel like they’re being played on fast forward – the events surrounding the murder of her first mentor, Louis Leplée, could have formed a film in themselves, but here are covered in no more than ten minutes.
Elsewhere the technique of jumping backwards and forwards through edited highlights of Piaf’s life works far better. With the indifference and abandonment she received from both mother and grandmother and the begrudging affection of her father – which only manifests itself after she proves her voice could provide an income – combining to explain the complex nature of her relationships with men.
Throughout there is a painstaking attention to period detail, top quality cinematography and an occasional scene that sparkles with originality - such as the one where Edith receives news her lover, Marcel Cerdan, has died. Unpinning the visuals are digitally re-mastered versions of Piaf classics, which together form an incredible sound track, if one that is occasionally let down by over the top incidental music.
Verdict: A superior biopic of a fascinating character, built around a commanding central performance. The non-linear story line doesn’t 100% work, but is more than made up for by a sublime soundtrack. La Vie en Rose is a fine film, but the room afforded by a television mini-series may have better served the complexity of Edith Piaf’s life.
