LA VIE EN ROSE

RYAN: There are films and there are masterpieces, and we just saw a masterpiece; the biopic of Edith Piaf, “La Vie en Rose.”

CAROLINE: It truly is a tour de force in every sense of the word – acting, directing, cinematography, editing and la musique, bien sûr.

RYAN: I’m very excited about this movie because it’s highly stylized and it has the feel and look of an epic, Academy Award-winning film. I have to assume it’s going to be nominated, if not for Best Picture, then at least for Best Foreign Film. It was outstanding in every way.

CAROLINE: The woman who plays Edith Piaf, Marion Cotillard, is truly remarkable. There’s no other word to describe her. I don’t know much about Edith Piaf, but I can only assume that Marion Cotillard played her as true to life as possible. Her facial expressions and even her posture are incredible.

RYAN: The make-up is amazing too. Marion plays Edith from about age 16 to 47, and you almost think it’s two different actresses because the make-up makes her look that different.

CAROLINE: That’s one of the first things I noticed. Whoever did the make-up needs to get nominated for an Academy Award. The movie jumps back and forth in time a lot and as Edith ages, they make her chin look fuller and she has these scary plucked-out eyebrows that are so crazy looking. It’s an unbelievable transformation.

RYAN: There’s one scene that was performed and directed unlike anything I’ve ever seen before in a film. I won’t tell you what it is because I don’t want to ruin it, but that one scene alone deserves an Academy Award. It was done in one continuous shot and it’s outstanding. I am so bowled over by this film.

CAROLINE: There are a couple of really poignant moments in the film where they dropped the sound altogether and it makes such a huge impact. I don’t know if I’ve seen anything like that before.

RYAN: It’s just so powerful, riveting and emotional. Edith Piaf had a very difficult life. Clearly there were a lot of ups with her success in her career, but her personal life was tragic and crazy.

CAROLINE: Completely in shambles in every way – her health, her love life, her family, her friends.

RYAN: Everything that she ever cared about what ripped away from her, and it makes for an incredible cinematic experience. The stuff that happens is to her like; you couldn’t make this stuff up and you don’t have to because this woman’s actual life was so dramatic.

CAROLINE: It makes me wonder why there hasn’t been a movie like this sooner. The woman’s been dead for more than 40 years.

RYAN: Maybe it’s because they didn’t have the right actress. But this was the right time for this actress. I wanna see Marion Cotillard as the love interest in the next “Mission Impossible” movie.

CAROLINE: [laughs’ Yeah, that’s exactly where she belongs.

RYAN: But she needs to cross over to the American market.

CAROLINE: She could be the next Audrey Tatou who can act 1000 times better. Bottom line?

RYAN: My friend Kimberly, who brings the cred since she’s a French teacher, said it best: “‘La Vie en Rose’ is an intimate look into an extraordinary life that compels us simply to love and regret nothing.” As for me, I really hope this movie gets nominated for Best Picture and she gets nominated for Best Actress. I’ve seen this movie twice I like it so much. I recommend it to anyone over the age of 18; it’s definitely a mature film and it’s an amazing movie-going experience.

CAROLINE: I concur for the most part, though I have to admit that this movie didn’t touch my heart. There were many emotional moments that I loved, but since I don’t know much about Edith Piaf or her life and music, I don’t think this movie had the same profound impact on me that it would have had if I had a vested interest in the artist. But it definitely made me want to learn more about her. But it doesn’t matter if you hate music or you hate Edith Piaf; Marion Cotillard’s performance is so unbelievable that you’ll love this movie regardless.

BONUS – “La Vie en Rose” trailer: