La Vie En Rose

La Vie En Rose is the story of the famous French Singer named Édith Piaf (Marion Cotillard) who went from rags to riches. The movie is largely non-linear as it portraits her life at different segments of her life. The movie starts with her collapse on stage and then takes us back to her childhood. The beginning of the film is mostly her childhood with flashes to her later years before her battle with cancer. Then the movie shifts to her beginnings as a singer and then shows her gradual progression to fame and fortune. Of course it wouldn't be a French movie without serveral tragic scenes as they portray most of this singers life as a depressive sequence of events that enventually climaxes at the end with her death. She does experience moments of happiness with love and personally success but of course before she can tame her tragic fate it all comes crashing down.

I don't know much about Edith's real life but what they portray is a woman who's life revolved around singing. She did anything to keep the show going, even if it meant compromising her health. She was constantly in and out of broken homes and I suppose she took solace in her singing voice and felt at peace when she was on stage with gazing eyes on her.

In her later years, she had lost everyone close to her and lived the majority of her adult life in a health care home.

I wasn't a big fan of this movie and in fact couldn't wait until it was done. Tragic situations would seem to pop out of nowhere. In one tragic moment, the love of her life came to see her and as she got up to give him his present (a watch) she was told that he died a tragic death. It wasn't clear how he died when he was just sitting on the bed a moment earlier. The whole scene wasn't convincing. It seemed that the production of the film lacked in clarity and was full of choppy scenes that didn't really tie in that well.

My favorite quote of the movie was when Edith was sniffing the corn beef and said "sa l'aire comme un chien mouiller."

I give this film 1.5 fries down. The 0.5 was for the singing that was showcased throughout the movie. I rather enjoyed her songs and made the film a little more bearable.

Yusuf

Mon Meilleur Ami

I watched a French movie last night called 'Mon Meilleur Ami', which translates to 'my best friend'. I suppose that over the years I have become so accustomed to Hollywood blockbusters that this movie was a refreshing change. It's a story about a successful rare art collector, Francois (Daniel Auteuil), who refuses to believe he has no real friends, and so he places a bet with his business partner Catherine (Julie Gayet) that he can find one within 10 days. The prize is the vase. Scrambling to find a friend, he finds a cheerful cab driver Bruno Bouley (Dany Boon) willing to pose as his friend.

I liked the movie primarily because Julie Gayet was in it, but also because it showed the need for friendship as a basic human nature. As the title suggests it is a movie about friendship, but it takes it one step further to REAL friendship and what qualifies a real friend. I felt that overall the film was very enjoyable, especially when Bruno would take Francois around Paris trying to find his true friend. There were some really funny moments as well as some softer ones that made for a good overall film.

My favorite quote of the movie: "la bonhumour est le debut du bonheur."

I give this movie two French fries up!

Yusuf