Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-11-26
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: French, English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 135 minutes

DVD Description
From the slums of Paris to the limelight of New York, Edith Piaf's life was a battle to sing and survive, live and love. Raised in poverty, Edith's magical voice and her passionate romances and friendships with the greatest names of the period - Yves Montand, Jean Cocteau, Charles Aznavour, Marlene Dietrich, Marcel Cerdan and others - made her a star all around the world. But in her audacious attempt to tame her tragic destiny, the Little Sparrow - her nickname - flew so high she could not fail to burn her wings.

Synopsis
The life and career of Edith Piaf explodes on the big screen with LA VIE EN ROSE, a biopic which focuses on Piaf's relationships with some of the most eccentric personalities of her generation, including Marlene Dietrich, Yves Montand, and many more.

The Daily Mail
`Simply sensational… worthy of an Oscar'

Customer Reviews

I can see why Marion Cotillard won the Oscar.
If nothing else, I encourage people to buy this film just to admire and marvel at the sheer brilliance and remarkable finesse with which Cotillard portrays Edith Piaf. Her acting throughout is simply exceptional and in a class of its own. Such talent is rare and one of a kind! Great also if you like Edith Piaf's songs. Cotillard certainly deserved her Oscar and Bafta!
10 Stars just for her acting!

Awesome!
Well worth watching, but make sure you have tissues, a drink (or 4), and chocolate - you need to actually concentrate & watch this film.
I did get a little annoyed with the very dark lighting in lots of scenes - never can see the sense in filming something you cant see - but I guess that addded to the moodiness of it, & the acting & story were more than capable of carrying the darkness.
Fab film - really enjoyed it.
I now have to go out & learn more about Edith!

A dramatic french experience
This is a film about a singing genius, that complete one-off, Edith Piaf, alive in the first half of the 20th century but whose performances are still dramatically effective now. The film reminds me of our fascination with genius and how when we look closely at it a life of chaos and pain and selfishness is often revealed. This very honest film about an icon portrays all of this and more.
The flashback structure did get in the way sometimes, I definitely found myself thinking why didn't they start at the beginning and end with her death, the chaos and hurtling pace of her life would still have been interestingly and successfully revealed. The film showed that the messiness in her life was part of her genius and that it was her huge talent that saved her from own self-destructive personality and the fallout from her appalling upbringing. Her very short life by today's standards would have been even shorter without that talent.

I did find myself thinking that parts of her life were missing in the film, for example, what happened to Raymond her teacher, why was she so stooped, what was physically wrong with her, what happened to certain characters later, who were all the people that surrounded her and supported her all her life. These were not explained. However I imagine the director had to make several big cutting decisions as Piaf's life was so eventful.

This does not take away from the success of the film, the outstanding performance by Marion Cotillard, the music, of course the songs, the costumes, the lighting, the sets,the sense of period, all marvellous. What counts is that you feel you know a lot more about Piaf at the end of the film and that sadly the delight and great art she was able to give to her audience then and now was at some cost to her. However the film shows that Piaf's work was also a source of balm and complete joy for herself so we come away feeling that though her life was full of pain which benefited her audience she did find great comfort through her own art.

The film is as complete a portrait of Piaf that I think could have been made on film, now to find a written biography to fill in the gaps which could not possibly all be included and also the most important thing, to buy the music!