Cheyenne Fan:

I wanted to adore this biopic about the life of legendary singer Edith Piaf, whose songs and voice are emblematic of every thing Parisian. It is impossible to hear this woman?s voice without envisioning an idyllic Paris in the 1940?s and 50?s. Much like Ray, the movie depicts the rise of a child born into poverty, who overcomes unrelenting adversity to become a national treasure. Unfortunately the writer/director chose to take the events of her life, write them on index cards, throw them up in the air and present them in the order that he picked them up of the floor. As a rule, I don?t dislike films that play around with time. I think Pulp Fiction, Mementos, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind manipulated time to amazing effect. In this film, we jump from Edith?s deathbed, to her childhood to the peak of her careers to her rise, back and forth, forward and backwards, for no apparent reason, thematic or otherwise. It is the film?s greatest weakness and makes one long for a straightforward, Taylor Hackford version of the film. This particular director, Olivier Dahan, calls attention to himself by playing with time. It is as if he is incessantly shouting at the viewer throughout the film, saying stop paying attention to Edith and pay attention to me. Well son, somebody needed to whack you upside the head and tell you to shut up. It?s rude to talk during the movie. Somewhere along the line he forgot that this movie was about Edith and not him. I?m tempted to give the movie even less than three stars, but I can?t because of the incredible performance of Marion Cotillard as Edith. She manages to walk this fine line of embodying Edith without trying to imitate Edith. It?s an amazing performance. Maybe someday there will be a special edition release of the film where the viewer can watch the events unfold chronologically, like in Mementos. That would be an amazing film, this one however, is just a mediocre one.

Southern Belle 1:

I know nothing of Edit Piaf, so have no idea if she was portrayed accurately by Marion Cotillard, who I loved in "A Good Year". This film was dark, depressing, and jumped all over the place. I had a hard time determining where I actually was in Piaf's life. She also came off as awkward, unlikeable, demanding, and generally unpleasant. Whether she was really like that, I don't know. In any case, Cotillard did an amazing job.

MattChance:

I stuck with the movie the entire way through. It was a back and forth movie, you'll have a hard time keeping up with what time is being depicted in Piaf's life. While I knew the movie was subtitled in English, I had hoped that everything in the movie was going to be subtitled. Unfortunately, all of the songs in the movie are not subtitled, and I would have liked to have known the English lyrics to them, as it would have increased my enjoyment. The singing IS very good, but unless you speak French, you will not know what is being sung. Besides that, this movie drags on for entirely too long, and there isn't much of a reward for the experience. The performance of Cotillard is excellent, but it is too bad that the beautiful shots and great acting is hampered by bad direction and an unnecessarily long runtime.

Walt D in LV:

Fantastic music and amazing performances are all wasted on this no-story having disappointment. A biopic that has no tragedy, no oomph! All this is is great music sung by a pretty French girl in her uneventful life. Wonderful performance deserving her Academy Award. 3/5/2008 Walt D in LV

dfwforeignbuff:

Excellent Movie Biography of Edith Piaf. Great Music. The star Marion Cotillard is so fantastic in this role its no wonder she won the best Oscar. The Sets and costuming are fantastic and the entire film is filmed with a kind of dark tint to give the film a very NOIR look. The Singing and music and first rate. The DVD sound first rate. I have an audiophile playback system and the sound was very very good. The actual movie itself is entertaining but kind of depressing because she was after all an alcoholic and drug addict and this movie tells of her rise and fall. She died at age 44. Some of the scenes characterizing her personality were not very flattering--- she appears as a loud mouth uncouth uncultured alcoholic drug addict. I guess this was the way she was in real life?? But over all the movie is still fascinating. I have long listened to here since the 1970s and my first stereo. I have a negative comment to the directors and producers that they made a big failure in the film of also not putting the words of the songs in subtitles as she sings--big mistake!! Great film Highest recommendation 5 stars!

VJ Purplequeen:

A very tragic life story here, from childhood to early death. A beautiful tribute to someone I did not know. I was not moved so much by her music - yes, by some of the lyrics - but her voice didn't wow me. Perhaps that is a cultural thing. It was a good glimpse into a human loss. And what I liked most about the movie was that it showed a direct connect between childhood abuse and later adult behavior. Edith learned to survive with mostly poor excuses for adult support and guidance. And so, as an adult now, with a gift that supported her, she did the best she knew how, even as so many of those ways she chose were self-destructive. Abused children often don't take good care of themselves unless somebody shows them how to. Thank goodness she had her St. Theresa, but St. Theresa was an angel, not living where booze and drugs and other women's husbands live. Such a tragic life. The acting was good, but I found the direction a bit dis-jointed. It was late in the film when I was able to establish a time line for certain events. While I understand the reason for this choice, it just did not work well for me, until too late in the movie. Also visually the darkness was a challenge, although again I understand how it was probably used to mirror Edith's life journey. Five stars to Ms. Piaf for her spirit, but ultimately only 3 stars for this movie.

Lobster:

The songs are wonderful (of course), Marion Cotillard is fabulous, but the film itself is long and terribly confusing. Too much camera movement and too much playing around with times -- flashbacks, flash-forwards. It was too dark, too, an atmospheric that mysteriously seems in vogue nowadays. All in all a disappointment, but worth three stars just for the sound track.

Andsav:

Beautiful, tragic, extraordinary...there aren't enough adjectives to describe the wonder that was this film. First off, Marion Cotillard certainly deserved the Oscar. Her performance in this film is what some actors strive for a lifetime to achieve. I admire that she didn't just imitate Piaf: her voice and mannerisms (like so many big-budget Hollywood biopics have opted to do), instead she became Piaf she understood her. The non-linear storyline was brilliantly edited and the director Dahan was nothing short of a genius. THe scene transistions were flawlessly and magically done. This is one of those movies that have great hype and more than deserved it. This is a classic that will stay with you for a long time.

ktmo76:

This movie reminds me why I love to sing. It's a breathtaking and touching tribute to an amazing singer.

Jah Rose:

What a beautiful movie! Ive never heard of Edith Piaf and decided to watch this movie because of all the wonderful reviews. Im very use to reading subtitles, and did not think the movie was too long. There were some parts of the movie, I wish there was even MORE explanation about, but I that would have made the movie even longer. A wonderful movie, and even if you are not a fan you will become one after watching this... just like me.

mabell3368:

A tragic story of the life of Edith Piaf, the Little Sparrow. Therein lies the problem for this viewer. In trying to tell her life story, the film falls victim to its own ambition. This covers her life from early childhood through her premature death at 47. In tackling so much material, the film really only gives it a quick once over and the audience is left to fill in the blanks. And believe me, there are more than a few blanks. Having said all that, Marion Cotillard IS Edith Piaf. Her mannerisms and her demeanor captured this troubled soul magnificently. It is a masterful performance and prevents this viewer from totally panning the film. Brava!, Ms Cotillard!

CO 1521212:

Well acted and beautifully shot; it's a bit chaotic and hard to follow at times, but this actually reinforces the tragic swirl that was Edith's life.

suejay:

wow - what a sad life this woman had. Marion Cotillard was excellent in this role! And of course, Gerard Depardeau has a cameo.

cbs 818616:

An amazingly well done movie. the acting was superb. this all said... it is a very depressing movie, do something joyful afterwards.

Metal Dog:

Edith Piaf was one of France's most beloved singers, with much success shortly before and during World War II. For some reason, the director skips over this period of her life. Maybe because her frequent performances at German social gatherings in occupied France was too controversial. The movie tries to detail every tragedy of Edith's life and skips around too much to tell a coherent story.

Frank W:

Watch it and you'll not only be treated to one of the finest expositions of French cinema ever, but you'll also enjoy one of the best acting performances of the year in Marion Cotillard.

flazemB:

I still have no idea what the title means; I gather it's something about a flower, but that Marion Cotillard deserves an Oscar. I don't care if Cate Blanchett plays Freddy Mercury from Queen, this chick beats all.