2007
Directed by Olivier Dahan
I remember having to watch this for my high school French class. Even now it still feels like a homework assignment.
The film recounts the life of Edith Piaf, from her unusual upbringing in a Parisian brothel, to her early death brought on by her morphine and alcohol addictions. The most interesting part of the film for me was Edith's romance with the married Marcel Cerdan, a famous boxer.
It's been awhile since I criticized a film for being too boring, but damn, this was boring. It was two and a half hours of watching this woman self destruct, which was both tedious and frustrating. I don't think Edith Piaf was a particularly admirable person and really didn't want to spend so long dissecting her life. I am not saying the subjects of biopics have to perfect, but their flaws should be unique or intriguing enough that going on a cinematic journey with them feels worthwhile.
The music was still great and Cotillard delivered a fantastic performance. But I would recommend skipping this, unless you are a huge Piaf fan.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Marion Cotillard shaved back her hairline and shaved off her eyebrows in preparation for her role.
The producers of this film wanted Audrey Tautou to play the lead, but Olivier Dahan insisted on casting Cotillard.
No comments:
Post a Comment