.jeri.

I have very mixed feelings about La Vie En Rose. On one hand, it's a very well crafted movie. On the other, the life of Edith Piaf isn't all that inspiring to me. She grew up in a seedy environment, became a bit of a punk in her youth, got recognized as a great singer and started a big career, and used her fame and fortune to party, ultimately killing herself with her hard living (at least, that's how the move portrays her health issues). Well woo frickin hoo. She comes across in this movie as a bad person, no matter how beautiful her voice was.

I had always been familiar with certain recordings sung by Piaf, but never knew who she was. This movie chronicles her life from beginning to end, cutting frequently into her early, middle, and later lives. I didn't much care for the frequent cutting, but the other aspects of the movie were handled well. The sets, costumes, and art direction are all beautiful, and there are some wonderful long shots, especially in a climactic scene when she finds out the man she loves is dead.

The singer is portrayed by Marianne Cotillard, who definitely deserves the Oscar this year. She carries the character through many ages, and the extent to which she changes herself in both behavior and appearance is uncanny. I had to check to make sure it was the same actress playing Piaf the entire time because it was such a big contrast between the two. I hear most of the awards have been going to Julie Christie for her great role in Away From Her. While I loved that movie, I would have to side with Cotillard.

That being said, this movie just wasn't much up my alley. Part of my lack of enthusiasm comes from the DVD itself, which does not have subtitles for any of the songs. Since so much of the movie consists of songs, and so many of those songs have a specific meaning for their particular scenes, not having subtitles felt like a complete loss. I wouldn't be surprised if my perspective on the movie would change if I were able to understand what was being sung. But, even so, I just couldn't admire this woman, or even feel all that sorry for her.

So, to sum all that up: I would recommend the woman for the award, but not the movie unless one understands French and would like to watch a famous French celebrity's unappealing story.