WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Kodie Bird True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

paul2001sw-1 The recent biopics of Johnny Cash and Ray Charles were quite well done, but at times it felt as if you could superimpose them over each other scene for scene. The problem is that each film tried to tell an essentially uplifting story of hard beginnings, super-stardom, setbacks and ultimate triumph, with great songs emerging as an expression of personal struggle. But there's just not that much drama in a tale of a talented rich person nearly (but not quite) screwing up, and emerging better for the experience, so once the initial breakthrough has occurred, the rest of the movies are just illustrated documentary. 'La Vie En Rose', the story of Edith Piaff, is a bit different, even though it also uses the "song as expression of self" trope. This is because Piaff, while she also came from a poor background and struggled with drugs, ultimately didn't have a happy ending: she died young, prematurely aged. Also, as the film tells it, she was a strong, tempestuous and difficult woman, someone who lived her wealth and fame as if it might be taken from her at any moment, a form of behaviour that was sadly self-fulfilling. Marion Cotillard plays this troubled soul with some brilliance, from street gamine to ailing diva. Piaff's music is at one level unsubtle, and its rarely heard in the modern world. But even if you're more partial to rock-and-roll, hers is the more compelling story.

gavin6942 An un-chronological look at the life of the Little Sparrow, Édith Piaf (1915-1963). Her mother is an alcoholic street singer, her father a circus performer, her paternal grandmother a madam.As of now (2015), Edith Piaf has been the focus of a number of films. But it would be hard to say any are better than this one, and the reason is simple: they cast the right actress. Another well-known actress was named as a potential choice, but Marion Cotillard was the only correct one -- she brings a power to the screen that few can. (She may also be the only non-English speaking actress to achieve wide acclaim in the United States).Although I know nothing about Piaf and cannot say if this is accurate, it is certainly well presented and a joy to watch.

homespun13 I enjoyed this movie immensely, even though I was unaware that it was in French with English subtitles when I bought it. However, I do believe it could only be made in French. I had some French in high school so here and there I caught some words, but would not be able to follow the movie without the subtitles. But because of my high school French classes I knew who Edith Piaf was and the lyrics to several of her songs before watching the movie. I think that's what got me interested and also understanding the lyrics of her songs I believe is an important component of appreciating the songs and her art. For those who do not speak any French, translations are available online. As for the movie itself, the only part I really did not enjoy was the time travel back and forth throughout the movie. I would much prefer a orderly chronological telling of the story. However, other than that, I found it both interesting and enjoyable. The experience left me wanting to learn more about the singer and spend time online looking at videos of her singing, reading more details, etc. I was surprised to learn that many people here have no idea who she was and never heard of any of her songs. For those who fall into this category and have no interest in history, only the here and now, this may not be a good choice. But or those who like to be transported into another time and another life, this true story is certainly gripping. I know it's one of those movies I will enjoy watching over and over again.

Rockwell_Cronenberg Well, this was just a giant chore. Marion Cotillard does her best and it's a very impressive transformation on her part, stripping away all of her elegance to dive into this character, but I've rarely seen a film so miserably directed. Olivier Dahan takes what must have been an interesting life and somehow turns it into two of the most brutally trying hours I've had in my life. I was so tempted to throw in the towel on this one many times, but was determined to stick it out.Unfortunately it never got better and things just became more melodramatic and less and less interesting. The structure is all over the place, jumping from time to time (to some other time, I think?) with no reason or rhythm. The whole thing is absolutely incomprehensible, to the point where I didn't know who half the characters were or what stage of her life we were at or what was even going on half the time. Absolutely ridiculous. Worse, they take this person and turn her into such a loathsome creature, there wasn't a moment where I was even interested in her.It felt like they were so desperate to bring out sympathy or empathy from the audience, but it was such a miserably hollow experience the whole way through. I love Cotillard to death and the physical transformation is impressive, but I can't praise her performance too much if I never even cared about this dreadful person for the entire two hours that I was forced to sit through her wretched life. A good physical work, but I was never able to feel anything.