La Vie en Rose

Marion Cotillard (Big Fish, A Very Long Engagement) won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her performance in this examination of the life of singer Edith Piaf (1915-1963), known as The Little Sparrow. Piaf grew up in difficult circumstances, living at times with her mother, an alcoholic street singer; her father, a circus performer; and a grandmother, a madam at a brothel. A 20-year-old street singer, she is discovered by a club owner who is soon murdered, and coached by a musician who brings her to concert halls. Her rise to fame after that was fast, and her constant companions were alcohol and heartache. The tragedies of a love affair with Marcel Cerdan and the death of her only child belie the words of one of her signature songs, Non, je ne regrette rien (translated: No, I regret nothing). In addition to Cotillard's Best Actress Oscar, La Vie En Rose also took home an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup. French-language film with English subtitles.