• Is it age appropriate?

  About our ratings

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  Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 16.

• Is it any good?

  3.0

• Common Sense says

  French Edith Piaf biopic sings one lady's blues.

Why We Rated This for Ages 16–17

What to watch out for

• Messages:

  Full of question marks: Piaf was a disturbed soul who ran around with a rough crowd, including mobsters. Parents abandon their children and beg for money from them; women service men for pay; lots of drinking and drug use; Piaf sings to earn enough francs to eat and get inebriated. Despite the setbacks, Piaf does seem to find respite in her singing, and she manages to lift herself out of poverty through her talents.
• Violence:

  A man hits Piaf; screaming fights and fisticuffs in bars; insults are hurled; drunken tantrums have characters throwing objects; Piaf crashes a car while driving drunk; a prostitute is physically violated by a client; a fairly extended boxing scene includes lots of punches.
• Sex:

  Piaf grows up among prostitutes in a brothel, and their "business" is portrayed here, including fleeting scenes of half-naked men wandering the halls, sado-masochism (a woman is bound to a bed), and violence (another is physically violated by her client). Some kissing and groping, but few actual sex scenes. One scene shows Piaf in bed with a lover, under covers.
• Language:

  Surprisingly mild, though certainly not clean, considering the subject. Some uses of "s--t" and "bastard" (in subtitles).
• Consumerism:

  Not too much, save for mention of specific song titles.
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  A nearly endless parade of alcohol and drug use; Piaf and her friends loved to drink. Later, Piaf and some of her cohorts turn to morphine, and there are scenes of intravenous use, with bloody syringes in full view.

What Parents Need to Know

About La Vie en Rose

Families Can Talk About