Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. - Cyril Connolly
Monday, January 14, 2008
La Vie En Rose
I'm an absolute sucker for Hollywood awards show. The narcissism, capitalism, anorexic Barbie doll actresses, and fashion disasters are always worth tuning in for. It's a spectator sport and a guilty pleasure that requires popcorn and a bottle of wine.
Alas, the Golden Globes were cancelled this year, so instead, I watched a movie I had Tivoed (The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) and had tea and ginger cookies instead.
But, they did hand out the awards, and I was very glad to see Marion Cotillard win Best Actress for her stunning portrayal as Edith Piaf in the movie biography of her life, La Vie En Rose.
I watched this on Saturday night and was blown away. It's French, with English subtitles, and it lends a much greater air of authenticity to the film. Piaf's life was so hard and so sad, raised in a brothel, and then on the road with her father - a circus contortionist - she had a horribly adult youth and grew up hard and fast on the mean streets of Paris. Later on, years as a cabaret singer, smoking, drugs, and alcohol took their toll, and she died at 47 looking as if she were 77. The physical transformation Marion undergoes for the film is nothing short of remarkable, and she truly gets across the phenomenal voice and stage presence that made Piaf (Little Sparrow) a national treasure in France.
If you're scratching your head trying to remember if you've ever heard of Edith Piaf - you have. Your grandparents played her music all the time.
Put this in your Netflix queue or download it from On Demand - it's more than worth it.
Looooved this film.
Youngest Sister