TOUR DE FORCE

Scott Feinberg, a Boston-based critic and editor of andthewinneris.blog.com, interviewed Marion about a month ago about her film career so far and her work on La Vie en Rose. Read the full interview here. He also spoke to her on the 14th, after her Globe nomination. Here’s a snippet of the first interview:

TOUR DE FORCE!

THE PERFORMANCE OF MARION COTILLARD AS FRENCH ICON EDITH PIAF IN LA VIE EN ROSE IS NOT JUST ONE OF THE BEST OF 2007, BUT EVER. NOW, MEET THE WOMAN BEHIND THE MAGIC…

I read that you made a deliberate decision, when you were preparing to play Piaf, not to speak with people who knew her. Why was that?
Oh, no, no, no—I didn’t make that decision. I mean, I didn’t feel right away that I needed to meet people, but actually I met some people. I met two people who really helped me understand a lot of things about her. I met Georges Moustaki, who wrote ‘Milord,’ and who was one of her lovers. And I met Ginou, who was her best friend for fifteen years, and she really opened her heart and a part of her life for me in a very generous way, and she really helped me and supported me in all the process.

French dressing

The Envelope has included a little tidbit about Marion in their 2007 Fashion Rewind to predict what this year’s Golden Globe nominees will wear to the ceremony:

Marion Cotillard is nominated for portraying famed French chanteuse Edith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose.” Wanna bet she wears yet another gown from the house of Coco Chanel, another legendary Frenchwoman? The only catch? If Chanel has promised Keira Knightley that they won’t dress anyone else. Look out, couture catfight on the carpet!

More Globe Reaction

Globe nominee Cotillard has rosy future
By Greg Hernandez, Staff Writer
Los Angeles Daily News

It’s always nice to talk with someone when they are having a good day.

Thursday was a very good day for Marion Cotillard, who called from Paris in good spirits because she had just been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her acclaimed performance in “La Vie En Rose.”

“It means that people appreciate your work, so it is something,” she said. “You can say that it’s very subjective or about an awards campaign. Me? I just enjoy the whole thing. Deeply, deeply, I don’t care about awards. But I’m starting to have sparkles in my heart. So I asked myself, Well, you do like that. Be honest.”

In “Rose,” the 32-year-old actress portrays French singer Edith Piaf from her late teenage years into her late 40s. The movie’s title is French for “Life in Pink,” which was the signature song of Piaf.

“I didn’t think about (awards) while we were shooting,” Marion said. “We didn’t have any idea of what it could be because it was very, very risky, to ask only one actress to do the whole thing from 19 years old to 47. Usually you ask two actresses. When I read this part with such a powerful character, I thought, This is bigger than my dream to play a whole life – an extremely intense, passionate life.”

While she is enjoying the acclaim for “Rose,” Marion is eager for the writers strike to end so she can work on director Rob Marshall’s film version of the Broadway musical “Nine.” After that, she has a French film which she describes as “an amazing love story in the African desert in the ’30s.”

But before work, there will be glamour.

Marion was named Best Actress recently at the Los Angeles Film Festival and returns to Southern California in just a few weeks to be honored by the Palm Springs Film Festival.

Then a few weeks later comes the Golden Globes.

“Of course I will be there,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to coming because this is a very unique thing for a French girl. To have the opportunity to meet people I admire so much. I am just enjoying the present time. No pressure at all.”

Source.

Reaction

Reelz Channel interviewed a few Golden Globe nominees. Hear Marion’s reaction to her nomination here. Also interviewed are Saoirse Ronan and Tom Wilkinson. Congratulations to all three!

More on Marion’s reaction:

“I’m in the old section of Paris drinking Edith Piaf’s favorite champagne, Bollinger, which has become mine,” said exuberant “La Vie en Rose” star Marion Cotillard of her best musical actress nomination. “The first big reaction was when it did well in France, and then the film got recognition all around the world. It’s just been a series of surprises, and I hope it never ends.” Picturehouse president Bob Berney wasn’t surprised by Cotillard’s success. “For me, it was expected. I think when people in Los Angeles met her in person, it was shocking to them how different she was from the character.”

Source.

Golden Globes

The HFPA will be announcing this year’s Golden Globe nominees shortly. This post will be updated with any pertinent Marion Cotillard/La Vie en Rose news.

EDIT: Marion is in!!!

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical/Comedy
Amy Adams, Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray
Helena Bonham-Carter, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Ellen Page, Juno

All in all, though, the nominees this year are really unimpressive. The full list can be found at the HFPA’s official site, here.

Musical/Comedy

Tom O’Neil is reporting that Marion will be competing in the Musical/Comedy Lead Actress category at the upcoming Golden Globes. I’m pretty thrilled — her chances to win vastly improve in this category. Although, Amy Adams is making me a bit nervous. To be continued…