La Vie en Rose

Olivier Dahan settled on Édith Piaf on 22 January 2004 in a bookshop, over a street photograph of the singer at about 17, nothing like the later icon in black, and texted producer Alain Goldman the same day. The producers first wanted Audrey Tautou, who asked who would be interested in a film about Piaf; her agent then offered his other client, Marion Cotillard. Distributor TF1 cut 5 million dollars from the budget, judging her not bankable. Cotillard had her hairline shaved back and her eyebrows shaved off. To close the height gap, oversized tables and chairs were built, and she worked barefoot while the others wore stacked shoes. Not every song is a Piaf recording; Jil Aigrot sings 3 of them in full and Cotillard sings Frou-Frou herself. The 80th Academy Awards turned 3 nominations into 2 wins, Best Actress and Best Makeup, and Cotillard became the first winner for a French language performance. It took 4 of 7 BAFTAs and 5 of 11 Césars. A good fit if you can take a voice that is not always the performer on screen and a life told out of order. Not for viewers who find too much of the film resting on ageing makeup and held close-ups; Dahan argued with his cinematographer and makeup artist over them.