Tweet

Edith Piaf was one of the greatest singers of the twentieth century; top three probably. She also was one of the most tortured souls in the glamorous show biz world of her time. Olivier Dahan gave it a go at depicting her complicated story on screen. That’s a hell of a task if you ask me but the French director pulled it with less casualties than i would predict. He created a moving film with an excellent lead performance.

Dahan, who co-wrote the script with Isabelle Sobelman, chose some of the most emotional highlights of the star’s life instead of the saucy ones. We don’t see but one great love of hers, the middleweight boxing world champion, Marcel Cerdan. No celebrity love affairs, no big celebrity party scenes.

Those highlights, are shown in a non-linear fashion, jumping through time, without always pointing out the chronologies. It could be confusing but this isn’t a certain plot that we have to follow thoroughly to fully understand what’s going on. It’s a biopic, made out of certain moments in Piaf’s life, interlaced together in order to kind of map her inner self, her complexed personality. Which it does, igniting very emotional reactions from early on.

The director has a serious ally on his side. Marion Cotillard, the pretty French rising star is totally absorbed by her role, with the help of the make-up people of course. She has been transformed into the ugly duckling that was the young Piaf and the tormented creature she was late in her life with success. Cotillard’s performance is excellent, at least in the eyes of a non-expert on Piaf like me. She plays a very convincing middle-aged-that-looks-old woman. Having to follow certain movements and a specific attitude so that she would pass as Piaf, she comes through with flying colors.

A difficult life right from the harsh childhood to the grand career. Forty eight years on street corners, brothels, circus tents, cabarets and finally large luxurious music halls. Mixing with all sorts of persons and a family more than dysfunctional, absent. Sounds like all the dramatic cliches in the book crammed in one story but it’s true and Dahan’s movie, though probably not the full Piaf experience, delivers the goods and reveals the traumatized soul of the French superstar.

The music of course is great and the cinematography good but stereotype. That last revelation towards the end of the film was a bit uncalled for since noone expects to be surprised in a movie like that. Nevertheless the final scene when Piaf sings “Je ne regrette rien” is as strong and emotional as it goes in this satisfying film about her.