La môme (2007)

Director:

Olivier Dahan

Writers:

Olivier Dahan (writer)
Isabelle Sobelman (writer)

Release Date:

14 February 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Tagline:

The extraordinary life of Edith Piaf

Plot:

The life story of singer Édith Piaf.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Memory | Circus | Childhood | Song

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 29 wins & 33 nominations

Cast

Marion Cotillard	...	Edith Piaf
Sylvie Testud	...	Mômone
Pascal Greggory	...	Louis Barrier
Emmanuelle Seigner	...	Titine
Jean-Paul Rouve	...	Louis Gassion
Gérard Depardieu	...	Louis Leplée
Clotilde Courau	...	Anetta
Jean-Pierre Martins	...	Marcel Cerdan
Catherine Allégret	...	Louise
Marc Barbé	...	Raymond Asso
Caroline Sihol	...	Marlene Dietrich (as Caroline Silhol)
Manon Chevallier	...	Edith - 5 years old
Pauline Burlet	...	Edith - 10 years old
Elisabeth Commelin	...	Danielle Bonel
Marc Gannot	...	Marc Bonel
Caroline Raynaud	...	Ginou
Marie-Armelle Deguy	...	Marguerite Monnot
Valérie Moreau	...	Jeanne
Jean-Paul Muel	...	Bruno Coquatrix
André Penvern	...	Jacques Canetti
Mario Hacquard	...	Charles Dumont
Aubert Fenoy	...	Michel Emer
Félix Belleau	...	Robert Juel
Ashley Wanninger	...	Leplée's assistant
Nathalie Dorval	...	Mireille
Chantal Bronner	...	Josette
Cylia Malki	...	Philipo
Nathalie Dahan	...	Yvonne
Laurent Olmedo	...	Jacques Pills
Harry Hadden-Paton	...	Doug Davis
Laurent Schilling	...	Claude
Dominique Bettenfeld	...	Albert
Édith Le Merdy	...	Simone Margantin
Josette Ménard	...	Mamy
Emy Lévy	...	Brothel girl 1
Laura Stainkrycer	...	Brothel girl 2 (as Laura Stainkrycher)
Lucie Brezovska	...	Brothel girl 3
Vera Havelková	...	Brothel girl 4
Jan Kuzelka	...	Brothel customer
Dominique Paturel	...	Lucien Roupp
Nicholas Pritchard	...	Jameson
William Armstrong	...	Clifford Fisher
Martin Sochor	...	O'Dett audience member
Frederika Smetana	...	O'Dett audience member (as Frédérique Smetana)
Lenka Kourilova	...	O'Dett audience member
Pierre Derenne	...	P'tit Louis
Jan Pavel Filipensky	...	Fire eater (as Jan Filipensky)
Lara Menini	...	Circus dancer (as Laura Menini)
Oldrich Hurych	...	Clown
Mathias Honoré	...	M. Loyal
Diana Stewart	...	American woman
Jean-Jacques Desplanque	...	Tony Zale
Alain Figlarz	...	Boxing trainer
Robert Paturel	...	Boxing ring corner-man
Alban Casterman	...	Charles Aznavour
Olivier Cruveiller	...	Inspecteur Guillaume
Sébastien Tavel	...	Interviewer
Agathe Bodin	...	Suzanne
Nicole Dubois	...	Seamstress
Martin Janis	...	Jean Mermoz
Eric Franquelin	...	Etienne
Marc Chapiteau	...	Mitty Goldin
Maureen Demidof	...	Marcelle
Philippe Bricard	...	Man in Lannes
Olivier Raoux	...	Waiter
Nathalie Cox	...	Pin-up
Pierre Peyrichout	...	Journalist
Yelena Gabrielova	...	Drunk woman (as Helena Gabrielova)
Jaroslav Vízner	...	New year's eve man
Sophie Knittl	...	Bar customer
Hélène Genet	...	Bar customer
Farida Amrouche	...	Aïcha
Liliane Cebrian	...	Palm reader
Nicolas Simon	...	Journalist by the church
Pascal Mottier	...	Boy
Thierry Gibault	...	Ostende doctor (as Thierry Guibault)
Garrick Hagon	...	American doctor
Ginou Richer	...	Neighbor
Vladimír Javorský	...	Street spectator
Denis Menochet	...	Journalist in Orly
David Jahn	...	A soldier
Sylvie Guichenuy	...	A woman in the street
Fabien Duval	...	Policeman
Maya Barsony	...	Girl at the bar counter
Paulina Bakarova	...	American journalist (as Paulina Nemcova)
Rodolphe Saulnier	...	Barman
Fedele Papalia	...	Diner waiter
Zdena Herfortova	...	Woman Etoile Cafe
Pier Luigi Colombetti	...	Brasserie owner
Olivier Carbone	...	Transvestite
Laurence Gormezano	...	Brasserie waitress
Christophe Kourotchkine	...	Civilian policeman
Christophe Odent	...	Dr. Bernay
Robert Nebrenský	...	Docteur in Dreux
Jaromír Janecek	...	Show manager in Dreux
Christopher Gunning	...	Orchestra conductor
Richard Hein	...	Orchestra conductor
Elliot Dahan	...	Child
Isaac Dahan	...	Child
Jil Aigrot	...	Edith Piaf (singing voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gérard Robert Gratadour	...	Voyou de Belleville
Eric Dahan	...	Accordion player (uncredited)
David Fellowes	...	Recording engineer (uncredited)
Anika Julien	...	Various Roles (voice) (uncredited)
Lana Likic	...	Mr. Jameson's Assistant (uncredited)
Ryan McBay	...	Lifeguard (uncredited)
Alexandre Mermaz	...	Street spectator (uncredited)
Chris Toma	...	American Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Olivier Dahan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Olivier Dahan		writer
Isabelle Sobelman		writer

Produced by
Timothy Burrill	....	co-producer
Axel Decis	....	assistant producer
Alain Goldman	....	producer
Marc Jenny	....	co-producer
Oldrich Mach	....	co-producer
Catherine Morisse	....	associate producer
Marc Vadé	....	line producer

Original Music by
Christopher Gunning

Cinematography by
Tetsuo Nagata

Film Editing by
Richard Marizy

Casting by
Olivier Carbone

Production Design by
Olivier Raoux

Art Direction by
Beata Brendtnerovà
Mick Lanaro
Laure Lepelley-Monbillard		(as Laure Lepelley)
Stanislas Reydellet

Set Decoration by
Stéphane Cressend
Petra Kobedova
Cecile Vatelot
Christine Gilbert		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Marit Allen

Makeup Department
Jan Archibald	....	key hair stylist
Linda Dvorakova	....	hair stylist
Barbara Kichi	....	hair stylist
Barbara Kichiova	....	hair stylist
Didier Lavergne	....	key makeup artist
Ruzena Novotna	....	hair stylist
Gabriela Polakova	....	makeup artist
Loulia Sheppard	....	hair stylist
Matthew Smith	....	prosthetic makeup artist
Hovette Stephanie	....	wig maker
Ivo Strangmüller	....	hair stylist
David White	....	prosthetic makeup designer

Production Management
Abraham Goldblat	....	post-production manager
Michal Prikryl	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Seb Caudron	....	second unit director
Vojta Hlavicka	....	second assistant director
Mathias Honoré	....	first assistant director
Oldrich Mach	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Mario N. Bonassin	....	art assistant
Emmanuel Delis	....	property master
Karim Djerbi	....	art department coordinator
Antoine Dore	....	props
Bradd Fillmann	....	art assistant
Rouches Frank	....	prop buyer
Antoine Galinié	....	props
Natasha Giraldo	....	art coordinator
Sonia Gloaguen	....	set decoration assistant
Benoit Godde	....	concept illustrator
Virginie Hernvann	....	assistant art director
Alexis Imbert	....	props
Radan Kapinos	....	stand-by props
Gabriela Rezacova	....	props

Sound Department
Guadalupe Cassius	....	assistant sound editor
Boris Chapelle	....	assistant dialogue editor
Mathieu Descamps	....	trainee sound
Marc Doisne	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Dufek	....	location sound: second unit
Jean-Baptiste Faure	....	boom operator
Jean-Paul Hurier	....	sound mixer
Nikolas Javelle	....	sound editor
Edouard Murcier	....	adr supervisor
Gael Nicolas	....	sound editor
Sandy Notarianni	....	assistant sound editor
Florian Penot	....	assistant foley artist
Philippe Penot	....	foley artist
Pierre Picq	....	boom operator
Gréggory Poncelet	....	sound recordist (as Grégory Poncelet)
Caroline Reynaud	....	foley editor
Pascal Villard	....	supervising sound editor
Christophe Vingtrinier	....	post-synchronization
Laurent Zeilig	....	sound

Special Effects by
Jan Holub	....	special effects crew
Miroslav Miclik	....	special effects technician
Pavel Policar	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor	....	visual effects
Serge Anthony	....	color grader
Richard Bain	....	digital compositor: BainVFX
Jim Bowers	....	digital matte painter
Stephanie Broussaud	....	Lustre assistant
Izet Buco	....	compositor
Stuart Bullen	....	digital compositor
Earle Stuart Callender	....	visual effects producer: Rainmaker UK
Seb Caudron	....	visual effects supervisor
Jimmy Cavé	....	computer graphic artist
Hal Couzens	....	visual effects supervisor
Mark Curtis	....	compositor: MPC
Nicolas Daniel	....	Lustre assistant
Nick Drew	....	visual effects production manager: CIS London
François Dupuy	....	digital intermediate technical director
Michael Elson	....	executive producer: MPC
Adam Gascoyne	....	visual effects supervisor: Rainmaker UK
Uel Hormann	....	visual effects supervisor
Simon Hughes	....	digital compositor: Rainmaker UK
Élodie Ichter	....	Lustre assistant
Abdel Ali Kassou	....	technical manager
Aurelie Lajoux	....	senior compositor
Laurent Larapidie	....	lead cgi artist
Tim Mendler	....	movematcher
Roma O'Connor	....	executive producer: visual effects
Carine Poussou	....	visual effects coordinator
Aled Robinson	....	visual effects editor: MPC
John Van Hoey Smith	....	digital compositor
Hugh Welchman	....	visual effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Christian Abomnes	....	focus puller
Jean-Christophe Allain	....	focus puller: b camera
Bruno Calvo	....	still photographer
Mathieu Caudroy	....	Steadicam operator
Patrick Contesse	....	head gaffer
Roberto De Angelis	....	Steadicam operator
Roberto De Angelis	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Ingo Gardner	....	balloon light technician
Manuel Gaspar	....	electrician
Gaston Grandin	....	key grip
Roman Hodek	....	key grip
Alex Ivanco	....	electrician
Vladimir Muller	....	Steadicam operator
Olivier Nedelcu	....	electrician
Zdenek Pozar	....	electrician
Sylvain Rodriguez	....	additional video assist
Martin Schmarc	....	video assist operator
Jaromir Simek	....	gaffer: Czech Republic
Petr Svoboda	....	electrician

Casting Department
Marie-Laure De Saint Venant	....	casting assistant
Brigitte Fourcade	....	extras casting
Jirí Hrstka	....	extras casting
Alex Johnson	....	casting: UK
Zusana Kobedova	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Céline Collobert	....	dresser: Paris/Los Angeles
David Crossman	....	costume supervisor
Natalie Humphries	....	assistant costume designer
Alice Kheilova	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Elisa Aboulker	....	assistant editor
Serge Anthony	....	color timer
Yves Beloniak	....	additional editor
Sophie Delecourt	....	additional editor
Natacha Louis	....	digital color grader
Tuong Vi Nguyen-Long	....	assistant editor
Fabien Pascal	....	colorist
Virginie Seguin	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Guy Barker	....	musician: trumpet solo
Becky Bentham	....	music supervisor
Becky Bentham	....	score coordinator
Katia Boutin	....	music editor
Marcia Crayford	....	musician: first violin
Edouard Dubois	....	musical director
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Dave Hartley	....	musician: piano
Igor Outkine	....	musician
Édith Piaf	....	singing voice
Stéphane Reichart	....	music recordist
Guillaume Roussel	....	assistant orchestrator

Other crew
Olivier Billard	....	assistant location manager
Élizabeth Boorn	....	production assistant
Diane Brasseur	....	assistant script supervisor
Tomas Cisar	....	interpreter
Thierry Cretagne	....	location manager
Jon Duncan	....	production accountant: UK
Jacqueline Edwards	....	production coordinator
Jacqueline Edwards	....	production coordinator: uk
Zdenek Fiala	....	location manager
Zdenek Flídr	....	location manager
Abraham Goldblat	....	post-production manager
Aurore Jactat	....	legal advisor
Jirí Kasan	....	production assistant
Tommy Kerne	....	assistant location manager
David Koranda	....	location manager
Virginie Le Pionnier	....	script supervisor
Lenka Likarova	....	assistant location manager
Denisa Murinova	....	production accountant
George Nicholis	....	film publicist
Gregoire Ohnet	....	assistant location manager
Marc Paris	....	production accountant
Nicolas Ploux	....	assistant location manager
Harmel Sbraire	....	coach: actors
Mirka Valova	....	production coordinator
Daniel Villagomez	....	credits administrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Légende Films
• TF1 International (co-production with)
• TF1 Films Production (co-production with)
• Songbird Pictures (co-production with)
• Okko Productions (co-production with)
• Canal+
• Sofica Valor 7
• TPS Star

Distributors

• Cinéart (2007) (Bulgaria) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Best Film CO (2007) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Constantin Film (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Festive Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Hoyts Distribution (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Hoyts Distribution (2007) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Paradise Group (2007) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Picturehouse Entertainment (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• RCV Film Distribution (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2007) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• TFM Distribution (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• TVA Films (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Europa Filmes (2008) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Toho Company (2008) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Bain VFX
• Breakthru Films
• Moving Picture Company (MPC)
• Rainmaker (visual effects) (as Rainmaker Animation & Visual Effects UK)

Other Companies

• Air Lyndhurst Studios  score recorded and mixed at (as Air Studios, Lyndhurst Hall)
• Airstar  grip and lighting equipment
• Arri Rental  grip and lighting equipment
• CE VideoAssist Rental  VideoAssist equipment provided by
• Duran Duboi  digital intermediate
• EMI Records  soundtrack
• EXTRAfilms S.r.o.  extras casting
• Fuji Photo Film  motion picture film supplied by
• Hothouse Music  music coordination
• Isobel Griffiths Limited  music contractor
• Lansdowne Studios  score recorded and mixed at
• Macwell  computer services provided by
• Malde & Co.  financial consultants
• Panavision Alga  camera equipment
• Panavision  camera equipment serviced by

Also Known As:

La vie en rose (UK) (USA) (new title)
Edith Piaf (Czech Republic)
Life in Pink (USA) (informal alternative title)
The Little Girl (USA) (literal English title)
The Passionate Life of Edith Piaf (International: English title)
Untitled Edith Piaf Project (France) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for substance abuse, sexual content, brief nudity, language and thematic elements. (also extended edition)

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

France | UK | Czech Republic

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:12 | Finland:K-11 | USA:PG-13 | UK:12A | Ireland:15A | Argentina:13 | France:U | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:PG-13 (extended edition) | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Brazil:12 | Sweden:7 | Taiwan:PG-12 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Krizeneckeho namesti, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

Légende Films

Trivia:

Make-up could take up to five hours for Marion Cotillard when she played the older Edith Piaf.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A scene identified by a supertitle as taking place in February of 1940 (where a young soldier plays a song for Edith Piaf in her apartment), a camera briefly shows a magazine on a coffee table. The magazine is "Paris Match," which was not founded for almost another decade (in 1949).

Quotes:

American journalist: If you were to give advice to a woman, what would it be?
Edith Piaf: Love.
American journalist: To a young girl?
Edith Piaf: Love.
American journalist: To a child?
Edith Piaf: Love.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: (#7.4)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

L'Accordéoniste

I'm coming to the conclusion that this is the best biopic I have ever seen

It is difficult to overstate the necessary calibre of a woman who was raised in a filthy whorehouse, sung and slept on the street, travelled with the circus, lost her child at 20, went blind for a time, was wrongly accused of murder, struggled with a drug addiction and lost other loved ones by the bucketload in her life, and still got up on stage at the end of her life to sing "Je ne regrette rien". La Môme documents each stage of Edith Piaf's life with creative direction and an intense performance by its lead actress, Martion Cotillard.

Ultimately it is a film that curiously enough does not come down to acting or story so much as it owes everything to its direction by Olivier Dahan. Audiences have been divided thus far on his efforts as they are somewhat unorthodox, but I believe he has truly done something magical with what could have fallen prey to a by-the-numbers biopic approach. In La Môme, the continuity is clipped and fragmentary at several points in the film, with scene 2 melting into scene 1 as opposed to vice versa. The story of Edith seems to fledge itself around two or three story lines simultaneously – her youth, her adulthood and her last days.

Marion Cotillard, a personal favourite of mine, is perfect at each of the aforementioned stages, having met the wonders of realistic make-up but also clearly having connected with the character of Edith Piaf. As a young singer she is fumbling and bird-like, but always with raw intensity behind her performance. As an old lady (although from what I understand she was never truly that old at the time of her death) she has transformed into something else – a kind of loud, hysterical diva who is alternatively self-depreciative and overbearing, her youthful humility having been quenched by years of alcohol abuse and her bird-like body and gait having been crippled by rheumatism. Only once does Cotillard vaguely emerge from her character, and it is toward the end when Edith is sitting on a beach in California giving an interview. The rest of the film she is wholly chameleon-like and indistinguishable from la môme.

Certainly this type of tragicomic drama with all of its poverty-stricken episodes and heart-rending tragedies is primed to elicit an emotional response, but Dahan goes the extra mile in polishing the story for audiences. It truly is a beautiful work of art, coated with sweeping tracking shots á la Paul Thomas Anderson or Martin Scorsese blended with shakycam to capture the fast, fickle pace of the business, endlessly creative intercutting of continuity and breathtaking scenes after another. When Piaf's beautiful hands have been noted, a muted performance is given in which the camera only focuses on her theatrics and hand gestures. Yet the best scene takes place in Piaf's apartment some 2/3s into the film in which she is waiting for her lover Marcel to fly in from Morocco. I shall give no spoilers. The film is momentarily gray and depressing, only to jerk the audience away from the misery and lose itself in a blossom-strewn pictorial style whenever Piaf goes on stage.

La Môme is a one-woman-show in all respects, with Cotillard shamelessly relegating every other cast member to the background with her emotional intensity. But in all fairness supporting characters are not given much screen time in the film, seemingly floating away from the central story eventually, or dying in some tragedy, illustrating the lonely life of its titular singer. La Môme needs to be seen to be believed, for it unexpectedly floors all other musical biopics of recent years – or indeed ever.

9 out of 10