La Vie en Rose (PG-13, 2007)

Set in a gritty early 20th-century Paris, the biopic LA VIE EN ROSE delves into the life of Edith Piaf, the 1930s French chanteuse whose stirring songs of love's joys and sorrows made her a household name. Piaf endured a punishingly painful life -- abandoned by her mother, neglected by a circus-performer father, raised partly by prostitutes, used by boyfriends, discovered by a nightclub owner (Gérard Depardieu) who then is killed, heartbroken by the death of a child, hobbled by a morphine addiction, dead at 47 -- the tiny Piaf (aka "the Little Sparrow") had little to celebrate except for her enormous, wondrous voice. So when the chance for true happiness with boxer Marcel Cerdan (Jean-Pierre Martins) -- is dashed forever, it's nothing short of devastating. And then, of course, there's her music, which aptly takes center stage. "Non, je ne regrette rien," she sings ("I regret nothing"), and how noble, how sad those words seem.

Writer/director Olivier Dahan's biopic is beautifully filmed and grippingly told. As played by Marion Cotillard (in an Oscar-winning performance), Piaf is complicated and compelling, the stuff of legend. But although it's impressive, the film fails to bring viewers close enough to its subject. Bounding from one moment to the next, from present to past to present once more, it reveals but doesn't illuminate.

Whether Piaf herself was that impenetrable or the film just isn't long enough (even though it's over two hours), something doesn't quite click. What's shown on screen leaves viewers feeling removed -- knowing much about Piaf but not knowing her at all. We see what she does, but we don't quite understand why (although we have our guesses). It makes for a slightly frustrating cinematic experience. Which isn't to say that you won't be moved.

Studio: Legende Films
Director: Olivier Dahan
Cast: Gerard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Martins, Marion Cotillard
Genre: Drama
Run time: 140 minutes
Theatrical release: June 8, 2007
DVD release: November 13, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: substance abuse, sexual content, brief nudity, language and thematic elements.