Marion Cotillard of France wins Best Actress Oscar for La Vie En Rose
February 25, 2008
Marion Cotillard of France pulled off an upset Best Actress Oscar last night for her portrayal of French chanteuse Edith Piaf in “La Vie En Rose”, beating out favorite British veteran actress Julie Christie (”Away From Her”), Canadian newcomer Ellen Page (”Juno”), American Laura Linney (”The Savages”) and the British actress Cate Blanchett (”Elizabeth: The Golden Age”).
The beautiful 32-year-old French actress admitted to knowing little about Edith Piaf before being awarded the starring role in “La Vie En Rose”.
“I really dedicated my life to the movie and to Edith Piaf for a few months,” Cotillard said backstage after her Oscar win. “My aim was to understand her heart, her soul. And so I went as deep as I could. I tried to do my best to find her inside me. But it was not so hard, because I really love her.”
Born in Paris, Cotillard to parents who were both actors, she settled on a career in drama in her late teens. Cotillard worked in television in France and on French films including Luc Besson’s action comedy “Taxi” and its sequels, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s drama “A Very Long Engagement.” This movie earned her the supporting-actress prize at the Cesars, France’s equivalent of the Oscars. Cotillard won the best-actress Cesar for “La Vie En Rose” two days before the Oscars. She also picked up a British BAFTA for her role.
However, recognition in France and Europe has not always translated to the international stage. The last film from France to display such appeal in the US was “Amelie,” which, like “La Vie En Rose” was something of a love letter to Paris. But it is Marion Cotillard’s tour de force performance that wowed the Oscar voters and US viewers. Marion Cottilard has appeared in a few Hollywood films like “Big Fish” and “A Good Year,” but the French actress was not on the radar of U.S. audiences until “La Vie En Rose.” Now that has changed forever. Cotillard was the first French performer since Simone Signoret in 1960 to win an Oscar in the best actress category, although several other actresses from France, including Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Adjani, have been nominated for Oscars. Cotillard also won a Golden Globe for her role.
“La Vie En Rose” was not seen in a vast number of US theaters, but positive word of mouth prompted many to seek out the film later on DVD. Now, with Cotillard’s Best Actress Oscar win, and her charming acceptance speech, sales of the French movie in the US are sure to soar. The movie also won the Oscar for best makeup, for the masterful way the French artists made Cotillard embody Piaf from her teenage years on the streets of Paris to her death from hard living and alcohol abuse at age 47.
President of France Nicolas Sarkozy took the occasion to congratulate Cotillard and to characterize the Oscar nod as a statement of unity between France and the US. “I wish to congratulate Miss Marion Cotillard very cordially, who has just received the Oscar for best actress”, said Sarkozy in an official statement. He added that Marion Cotillard incarnated Édith Piaf with realism, emotion and passion, and that in bringing her songs and story to life again with such authenticity she brought France and America together.
In her acceptance speech for Best Actress at the Oscars, Cotillard addressed the Los Angeles audience with a reference to the city’s name: “It is true there are angels in this city. Thank you so, so much,” gushed the French actress.
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