The Edith Piaf biopic, it somehow manages to be a perfectly decent, engaging movie, despite the subject matter being essentially dull (in our opinion) and the characters emmeninently slappable.
Marion Cottillard acts her little socks off, slightly too overwhelming for our personal tastes, but she certainly keeps the attention fixed throughout and does not let up for a moment; if you want intensity on screen, here it is. As for Piaf herself, I can barely remember the subject of a biopic we dislike more at the end. From her beginnings we can certainly empathise with 'difficult' behaviour....but when as a fully grown women she continues to act rudely, selfishly, showing no consideration for others, she comes across as an utter brat. A big voice with a small human being inside (we refer to the character in the movie; our knowledge of Miss Piaf outside of this (we do not know how truthful source) is limited).
The script isn't sensational, with some dodgy translations in the English subtitles. The story is oddly undramatic, it lacks any of the usual cliffhangers or dramatic swings. Maybe they should have mentioned the war, or maybe that's a different movie.
So how is this a good watch? As we say, Cottillard is extremely watchable, and most importantly it is directed and structured extremely well. I mean by this things like the scenes are the right length, put in the right order. A good pace is kept through all that happens. I found myself appreciating wuite literally the colour used; perhaps deliberately accentuated. It is a triumph of camerawork, pacing, and adding narrative thrust to the presentation when the plot does not always naturally support it, without false manipulation.
An extremely well made film, slightly hampered by the not always fascinating content. Precisley the opposite of what might have been expectd from the biopic of a life so often cast as outrageously colourful.
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