The Archives of My Mind

the real edith piaf

Because the weather is less than perfect, why not cozy up and watch some movies? This one in particular will make an excellent setting for you to wind-down to with a glass of wine, yes? It’s a deep and moving story about the horror and glory of fame. A biopic about the late Edith Piaf, a legendary French singer whose life was riddled with extreme highs and lows, which mirrors what some celebrities even today struggle with: too much life in the spotlight, obligations to maintain too many social/work engagements and everything that accompanies those excesses. It takes you behind the scenes and into the heart of the star; really an entertaining and emotional case study. Keep the tissue handy for this one — it’s a category five tear jerker — not having what is called an “American ending.”

Marion Cotillard‘s portrayal of Piaf won her the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, an accolade rarely handed out to foreign language film stars. Javier Bardem, the Spanish actor who played the air-gun-totting-psycho in No Country for Old Men, came very close with a nomination last year for his leading role in Biutiful — another foreign masterpiece I highly recommend. It’s raw life on film with all of its ups and downs, meaningful, and makes you think about your life. It’s something some foreign filmmakers are exceptional at doing. These are films that will change you.