Marion Cotillard Has A Posse; America Now Outsourcing Movie Stars

For the first time since 1965, none of the four acting honours went to Americans, and several winners gave their Oscar acceptance speeches in languages other than English. So that’s what those ESL classes were all about in McKinley.

And so last night Marion Cotillard won best actress for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in “La Vie En Rose”. The rest of the show was about as exciting as watching bananas turn black.

“It feels so good. I’m totally overwhelmed with joy and sparkles and fireworks and everything which goes like bom-bom-bom,” Cotillard said.

O, those French and their subtitles.

Playing Piaf from her fiery teens through her fragile 40’s, Cotillard offered a remarkable embodiment of the singer, who rose from a guttersnipe belting out tunes in the streets to become an international star in the 1930’s, ’ 40’s and 50’s. Edith died in 1963 at age 47.

Cotillard had to learn the fine art of lip-syncing, mimicking Piaf’s expressions and body language while mouthing along to tracks prerecorded by French singer Jil Aigrot, who re-created Edith’s distinctive warble.