La vie en rose tells the story of Edith Piaf, France’s most famous and popular chanteuse. From her early days growing up in a brothel, losing her eyesight and being riddled with disease (but luckily cured at the grave of a local saint), to her latter years in her late 40s but looking 70 when she was addicted to heroine and surrounded by hangers on, this is an engaging and beautifully told tale with painterly cinematography that recalls French art as much as it does French cinema.
It’s slightly disappointing for any interested in Piaf’s life as there aren’t as many celebrities as you might expect (compared to say, an American version version of this tale) and the non-linear plotting becomes slightly annoying at times when it’s hard to follow exactly what point the film is trying to make.
    However, showing the lives and loves of the singer is still an engaging tale. It does start to weigh on the audience after the second hour has passed that maybe this story could have been told shorter and sharper and sweeter, but the lead actress - Marion Cotillard – better known from A very long engagement is astonishing in the lead role, and I imagine on the basis of this, she certainly deserves to be nominated as best actress at the Oscars…