films friday

{since I slipped up and forgot to post yesterday, today will be films friday on saturday!}

La Vie En Rose

This film speaks to me as an actor in ways no other film has. I sometimes have to avoid watching it because it gets my blood boiling and my creative juices flowing to the extent that I feel like I haven't accomplished anything in my life. Marion Cotillard's performance in this film is nothing short of remarkarble. It's absolutely incredible, stellar, poignant, astonishing, phenomenal... seriously, there aren't enough adjectives out there to describe Marion's performance. She captured the spirit of Piaf in such an authentic way that I honestly don't think there is anyone else out there who could have come close. Even her physical transformation is mind blowing, and I'm not even talking about the incredible makeup that aged her decades older. Her approach to this character was ridiculously spot on. She deserved every stinking award she received for this performance and then some.

Stephen Holden of the New York Times probably said it best when he wrote about Cotillard's performance, "The most astonishing immersion of one performer into the body and soul of another I've ever encountered in a film."

There are so many magnificent things I could continue to say about Marion in this film, but I'd be giving everything away and you just need to see for yourself how remarkable she is.

The reason I even saw the film was probably because I knew and loved the song so much, as well as many other Édith Piaf songs. I have long had a love of Paris and French culture, especially French music, so naturally I would adore Édith Piaf (in fact I walked down the aisle at my wedding to Louis Armstrong's version of her most famous song, La Vie En Rose). The thing about Piaf is that her voice and her music has touched so many hearts all throughout the world, even today. Her life was touched by such multitudes of joy and tragedy, which continued to ripple throughout her life until the end. To see on film such a beautiful and moving interpretation of her life, especially by someone as sensational as Marion, is a dream. 

This film is a dream. I love everything about it. The acting, directing, cinematography, music/score, the makeup and the sets. It all comes together as a gorgeous gem of a picture. I adore this film and all of the passion that went into making it. Do yourself a huge favor and watch it immediately... just bring the tissues.

{images source}

watch Marion's transformation into Piaf