La Vie en Rose

The film which rocketed the French actress into the Hollywood lights and lifestyle was Olivier Dahan’s sensational biopic La Vie en Rose which sees Cotillard almost effortlessly slip into the sizable shoes of vocal royalty Edith Piaf. Her performance rightfully landed her a Best Lead Actress Academy Award and remains to this day perhaps the benchmark for biographical storytelling and showcasing.

The 2007 release retells the fascinating life story of Piaf who for many, embodies France as a nation and a collective spirit. Her infamous songs – namely Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien and indeed this title – can be heard in no less than 120 feature films including Inception and Saving Private Ryan in which their uses are wholly vital to the sequence in question.

Cotillard is heartbreaking here; her naked, human and dizzyingly poetic portrayal is rendered with true poignancy and reverence, plus her vocal is spine-tinglingly gorgeous. Yet despite such an intimate depiction, she has undeniable gusto and gravitas meaning her bellows and whispers pitch with dominating decibels