Sunday, January 13, 2008

CINEMA NOUVEAU PRESENTS “La Vie en rose”


( Tuscaloosa ) Cinema Nouveau’s line-up of notable and successful films continues at the Bama Theatre with “La Vie en Rose,” January 11 – 16, 2008. Showtimes are weeknights and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. $7 will be charged for general admission, $6 for seniors and children, and $5 for Arts Council members. Call 758-5195 or go to www.tuscarts.org for more information. Tickets will be on sale at the Bama box office approximately one half hour before showtime. The Bama Theatre is located at 600 Greensboro Avenue , in Tuscaloosa .

January 11 – 16, 2008
“La Vie en rose” (2007)
Directed by Olivier Dahan
Biography-Drama-Music / Rated PG-13 / 2 hours 20 minutes / French-English/ color

Starring
Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean-Paul Rouve, Gérard Depardieu
Nominated for 2008 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Cotillard)

SYNOPSIS
According to Marlene Dietrich, chanteuse Edith Piaf’s voice was "the soul of Paris ." This French drama explores the often troubled life of the singer as her fame took her from the City of Lights to America to the South of France. Abandoned by her mother, Piaf grew up in her grandmother’s brothel and her father’s circus, which is hardly the fun one might imagine. While singing on the streets of Paris as a teen, Piaf (played as an adult by Marion Cotillard, A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT) is discovered by club owner Louis Leplée (Gérard Depardieu), and this chance encounter changes the woman’s life. Her powerful voice takes her all over the globe, but it can’t guard her from the pain and suffering she can’t avoid.

As Piaf, Cotillard is mesmerizing. She fully inhabits the singer’s ivory skin, crafting a character that never descends into caricature or camp. She lip syncs to Piaf’s legendary voice, but the performance is seamless. Like WALK THE LINE and RAY, this biopic creates a fascinating picture of an artist whose songs only begin to reflect the singer’s painful life. But director-writer Olivier Dahan (LA VIE PROMISE) doesn’t take the traditional biopic route with LA VIE EN ROSE. Instead, the film jumps between various moments in the singer’s life, with little concern for linear narrative. Cotillard is just as adept at playing the teenage Piaf as she is the songbird on her deathbed at the age of 47, and it’s her amazing performance that makes LA VIE EN ROSE worth seeing.

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