“La vie en rose is a stunning, dramatic and at times brutal film. Marion Cottilard plays Piaf like a confused, wounded bird – her wide blue eyes are what stay with you. The film is not so much interested with the details of Piaf’s professional life, although her rise to fame is charted, but with her personal life – a stream of tragedies that lead to her drug abuse and early death. Although she emerges a triumphant French heroine, her background and coarse private persona are thoroughly (and at some points scathingly) exposed. This is what makes this biopic rise above the rest – it truly interrogates its subject. This ethic, coupled with Cottilard’s dedicated performance and Piaf’s amazing songs makes La vie en rose an excellent centrepiece for the Festival and illuminating viewing for anyone interested in Piaf and her music,” enthuses HELEN SIMS.

“Is Gad Elmaleh (The Valet) trying to typecast himself as the bozo with a heart of gold?” asks JOE SHEPPARD of Pierre Salvadori’s Priceless. He also has questions for György Pálfi’s follow-up to Hukkle: “I got the feeling that the story for Taxidermia was written backwards: we have a taxidermist, now what are some truly appalling things he can stuff, and why?” Anticipating Lady Chatterley, MELODY NIXON finds that “This French/Belgium adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s seminal novel fails to capture much the essence of discovery and release that the book so powerfully conveys,” while BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM is charmed by Irish musical Once: “a wee crowd-pleaser, and [Markéta] Irglová’s performance was one of the most engaging and sweetest I’ve seen in years.” KATE BLACKHURST also offers a second thoughts on Leonard Cohen I’m Your Man.

Festivities draw to a close in Wellington this weekend, however continue in Christchurch and Dunedin this August, followed by a tour of duty through the country’s smaller centres. Meantime, our coverage continues, winding down towards the end of the month. Festival details are available online at nzff.telecom.co.nz.