Ma Vie en l'Air (2005)

A Cotillard film of her middle era.....

In one of her most contemporary roles, Marion Cotillard plays Alice, one of many girls romanced by Yann (Bezace), an immature man whose life is limited by his fear of flying (and comittment). With bottle-blonde hair, dressed in beatup jeans and a leather jacket, Alice is charming and sexy, with a great little walk and clear eyes. She was bitterly disappointed by her marriage yet continues to seek companionship and love. She and Yann become friends; one day he decides he has fallen in love with Alice, and asks her to dinner. She arrives with an open face and heart, clearly vulnerable to being loved by someone whom she at least likes. Before this moment can blossom, however, Alice hears a message left on Yann's answering machine by his former lover. In trying to explain how this happened, he lies to her. Game and Match. She gets up and leaves, and won't return to him. In such a light scene, Cotillard's face reveals the hurt so vividly that it's almost painful to watch. This is reminiscient of a scene in LOVE ME IF YOU DARE, when Sophie is listening to what she thinks is a marriage proposal she's been waiting to hear for years, meanwhile hiding her feelings. Her disappointment, too, is delicately but memorably revealed by Cotillard, who at the same time reminds the viewer that such hurts can break the heart and spirit of a human being. Great stuff here, and she's still in her 20s in these films. June 12, 2008

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