| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Marion Cotillard | ... | ||
| Sylvie Testud | ... | ||
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Pascal Greggory | ... | |
| Emmanuelle Seigner | ... | ||
| Jean-Paul Rouve | ... | ||
| Gérard Depardieu | ... | ||
| Clotilde Courau | ... |
Anetta
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| Jean-Pierre Martins | ... | ||
| Catherine Allégret | ... | ||
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Marc Barbé | ... | |
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Caroline Silhol | ... |
Marlene Dietrich
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Manon Chevallier | ... | |
| Pauline Burlet | ... | ||
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Élisabeth Commelin | ... |
Danielle Bonel
(as Elisabeth Commelin)
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Marc Gannot | ... |
Marc Bonel
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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. During childhood she lives with each of them. At 20, she's a street singer discovered by a club owner who's soon murdered, coached by a musician who brings her to concert halls, and then quickly famous. Constant companions are alcohol and heartache. The tragedies of her love affair with Marcel Cerdan and the death of her only child belie the words of one of her signature songs, "Non, je ne regrette rien." The back and forth nature of the narrative suggests the patterns of memory and association. Written by <[email protected]>
I disagree with the previous comment regarding Olivier Dahan's direction, which was handle in my humble opinion, with such an eye for detail and created a wonderful, caring homage to Edith Piaf. I do believe that the chemistry between Mr. Dahan and the heart rendering performance by Marion Cotillard is what made the story riveting and visually stunning. Piaf's scattered "memories" are just what the film examines as she starts to dissect and remember fragmented moments in her life, and sometimes "in life" characters, relationships, lost loved ones are suddenly shifted and gone from one's perspective without any notice. The use of "just" the right amount of music, was done superbly as to not just make this a "concert type" musical biography but an exciting joy ride through an era long since past. By the time the credits were rolling both of my shirtsleeves were damp with tears of sorrow and tears of joy in discovering much more about such a remarkable, true modern day diva. I highly recommend this film.