We’ve finally come to the end of the road. But let’s remember, this was just one of the many wonderful roads awaiting Marion Cotillard.
Throughout this past year, she has demonstrated she is a genuine, thoughtful, obscenely talented person. I’ve enjoyed following her career from the sidelines since last summer. When I saw “La Vie en Rose” for the first time last July, I was so mesmerized that I went back to the theater three more times. I felt galvanized – I had to do something to pay tribute to what I believe to be one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen, male or female. And so this blog was born.
But it was born with an expiration date. This was not your traditional fan site – I’m too lazy for that! (if you're looking for a fansite, please visit Magnifique Marion Cotillard, kept up wonderfully by the amazing Maria). Rather, it was meant to be a bit of a time-capsule.
It was a risky proposition – Marion was not as well known as she is today. She was starring in a foreign-language film; she did not have the benefit of a huge studio behind her; although famous in Europe and especially her native France, her appearances in English-language films like “Big Fish” and “A Good Year” did not make a huge impact.
And yet something told me that this performance would be recognized – it was too great. I am a dreamer, after all, and not a self-fixated one – I do have dreams for others. So on I went with the blog, reporting little things here and there and receiving lovely messages from Marion's long-time fans. I familiarized myself with her body of work and felt even more inspired to continue this blog. I re-watched “A Very Long Engagement” and remembered thinking back to when I first saw it and how I thought “that girl” who played Tina Lombardi was great. I saw films like “Love Me If You Dare” and “Innocence” and admired an actress who can easily move between romantic comedy and experimental drama. I took in a viewing of “Les Jolie Choses” and found yet another groundbreaking performance by the same actress. In short, I became a fan – I suspect I always will be.
November arrived and K began her invaluable contribution to this blog. It was perfect timing – things got incredibly busy as award season got started. And all along Picturehouse ran a lovely, dignified, intense campaign for their star. There were ups (LAFCA!, Boston Society of Film Critics!), and downs (NYFCC, National Board of Review), then more ups (Golden Globe, BAFTA), and finally the one that really mattered…and we all know how that ended.
This was such a joyous experience for me – a lovely distraction from work – that along with K, we’ve decided to continue with a similar project. While we will not be focusing exclusively on Marion, and will not be updating the blog any more, we are sure to follow closely her career. We are still on the planning stages, so please check back in a few weeks, when we’ll hopefully have a better idea of what the new site will be. *Update* You can now find us here.
In the meantime, thanks again to all the regulars (you know who you are) and all the lurkers (thanks for dropping by!).
K, you’ve been an amazing collaborator and I look forward to continuing our work together. You rock.
And thank you (you definitely know who you are) for putting up with all the time I spent on my blog, all the Marion & Oscar talk, and for cheering just as loud as I did for her last night. You are the best.
Love, Dorothy
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I've got very little to add to those sentiments. What a film! What a performance! What a year! What a joy this blog was! I'm mostly just happy to have had the opportunity to contribute, to help shed light on Marion's amazing journey. So I thank you, Dorothy, for inviting me to join in and for starting the blog to begin with! You championed one hell of a performance and did an incredible job following, as Marion would say, this "adventure."
Thank you to everyone for their comments and discussion these past few months. It's been so much fun to get to gush about this performance with people and not sound like a lunatic! I know I'm not the only one here who screamed and jumped and danced about in excitement when Marion finally won her Oscar. Congrats to her, thanks to Dorothy, and thanks to everyone for reading.
K
Monday, February 25, 2008
End of the Road
Serendipity
This is such a beautiful image. Sigh, remember?.
From the AP:
OSCAR SHOCK: As Marion Cotillard stepped offstage with the best-actress Oscar for "La Vie En Rose," Forest Whitaker enveloped her in a hug that lasted at least a minute. Then they looked at each other and laughed. "I'm shaking, like wow," Cotillard trembled. Stopping by the backstage "thank you" cam, she expressed her gratitude in French and studied her Oscar. "I'm shaking so much I think I can't talk," she said. Whitaker led her arm-in-arm behind the stage on the winner's walk. "This is huge, this is huge," she gushed as backstage workers applauded. At a stop for a makeup touch up she tried to breathe deeply. "This is crazy, this is totally crazy. Ooh la la la la! It's totally surreal," she said.
More Marion photos
Several HQ photos of Marion with her Oscar, from here. Click the thumbnails to enlarge:
ELTON JOHN'S 16TH ANNUAL AIDS FOUNDATION ACADEMY AWARDS PARTY
Marion Cotillard's Road to Oscar
We will be wrapping things up shortly, but will be updating the blog throughout the day with several items as we get them. Thanks to all the people who wrote to us; even when things looked shaky, I would get an email from folks all over the world reminding me to stay positive and sharing their admiration for Marion Cotillard. I've met some amazing people through this blog, and we will continue this project (albeit in a different incarnation). This has been a wonderful journey -- Marion Cotillard united all of us with her art, and she has been rewarded with the highest accolade an actor can receive. A deserving winner if I ever saw one.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
MARION WINS OSCAR!!!!! - OFFICIAL 80TH ANNUAL OSCAR POST
*HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE. THANK YOU ALL FOR BELIEVING* Watch Marion's thank you here from backstage. And here's the WINNING MOMENT: Thank you, eegah! Big hug my friend, you've been there since the beginning. 
This is the lineup:
AWARD#1
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
(Jennifer Garner): 5:54 PM (PT)
WINNER - ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
AWARD #2
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
(Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway): 5:54 PM (PT)
WINNER - RATATOUILLE
AWARD #3
MAKEUP
(Katherine Heigl): 5:57
WINNER - LA VIE EN ROSE!!!
PERFORMANCE - SONG #1 (26) 6:03:09
“Happy Working Song”(2:07)
(Amy Adams-vocals, orchestra)
AWARD #4
VISUAL EFFECTS
(Dwayne Johnson): 6:09
WINNER - THE GOLDEN COMPASS
AWARD #5
ART DIRECTION
(Cate Blanchett): 6:13
WINNER - SWEENEY TODD
Here Jon Stewart will joke about Blanchett’s double nomination as Queen Elizabeth and as Bob Dylan.
More, way more, after the cut
AWARD #6
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
(Jennifer Hudson): 6:18
WINNER - JAVIER BARDEM (Oh my God, this is the first time I've ever cried during an Oscar speech since Tom Hanks' win for "Philadelphia." Beautiful tribute to his family and his country. Felicidades Javier!
PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE 6:27
(Keri Russell)
PERFORMANCE - SONG #2 6:27
“Raise It Up”
(Jamia Simone Nash, Impact Repertory Theatre of Harlem [21],
Total Praise Community Choir [15], Orchestra)
AWARD #7
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
(Owen Wilson): 6:30
WINNER - THE MOZART OF PICKPOCKETS
AWARD #8
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
(Barry B. Benson): 6:36
WINNER - PETER AND THE WOLF
AWARD #9
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
(Alan Arkin): 6:39
WINNER - TILDA SWINTON
SCI-TECH AWARDS RECAP 6:49:20
(Jessica Alba)
AWARD #10
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
(James McAvoy, Josh Brolin): 6:50
WINNER - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE 6:57:38
(Miley Cyrus)
PERFORMANCE - SONG #3
“That’s How You Know”
(Kristin Chenoweth-vocals, Dancers [32],
Marlon Saunders-singer, Steel Drummer,
Kids [2], Tuba Players [4], Chorus [16]): 7:00
AWARD #11
SOUND EDITING
(Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen): 7:06
WINNER -THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
AWARD #12
SOUND MIXING
(Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen): 7:09
WINNER - THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
AWARD #13
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
(Forest Whitaker): 7:15
WINNER - MARION COTILLARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Full List Here
Thank you Yawa for sending in the first photo of Marion on the red carpet!
(click to enlarge...from Yawa)
UPDATE from Dorothy: Totally. I'll be posting winners as they are announced. And k, it's totally OUR blog :-) Stay tuned guys, and don't be shy and post (I know you're out there...we broke our own record hours ago).
UPDATE from k: Oui...our blog. But you had the brains to start it first. I'm a little sad to let go. How pathetic is that? And I'm still waiting for red carpet photos of Marion to pop up. I haven't seen her yet!
Tom O'Neil: an upset for Cotillard?
You can read the rest of his analysis (BEWARE: He does treat The Babe Factor as a serious trend) here.Our Buzzmeter gurus Pete Hammond and Dave Karger are getting nervous, I hear. Really nervous. They're among the vast majority of our pundits (29 out of 32) on the Julie Christie train in the best-actress race now fretting that it might suddenly get derailed when a winner crosses the finish line tonight.
That's because they're hearing more and more of what I've been hearing for the last few weeks too, causing me to jump off and switch to Marion Cotillard in our final Buzzmeter logged earlier this week. When you talk to actual voters, you find out that gads aren't voting with the Christie pack, as widely presumed. Cotillard is ahead in the private count I've been keeping but only narrowly. The few dozen academy members I've polled isn't a scientific sampling, but it's enough to convince me of an upset ahead.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Marion Cotillard Winning the Golden Globe
Let's all go back to last month when the Golden Globe awards were announced. As you remember, there was no ceremony, but a rather dreary press conference instead. Here's Marion, friends, agents, and Olivier Dahan making a cameo in the documentary "Mon Clown":I'd love to see this docu in its entirety, but, alas, it's only airing on French television. Here's hoping a dedicated fan will load it to YouTube, DailyMotion, etc.
Here's her AMC Shootout appearance:
Finally, a lovely interview with Craig Ferguson:
ABC News supports Cotillard
ABC gives their Oscar predictions. While they believe Christie will take the Oscar, they believe it should go to Cotillard.
Julie Christie ("Away from Her")
Cate Blanchett ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age")
Marion Cotillard ("La Vie En Rose")
Laura Linney ("The Savages")
Ellen Page ("Juno")
Who will win
Julie Christie
Who should win
Marion Cotillard
Veterans and newcomers crowd the best actress field, and the vote for who will win versus who should win is split between the two. Julie Christie, 66, holds Hollywood's respect for her roles in classics like 1965's "Doctor Zhivago" and 1963's "Darling," for which she won a best actress Oscar. Her performance in "Away From You" may sway the Academy to give her another.
"People in the industry think it's a terrific role, a terrific performance," said Gregg Goldstein, film reporter for The Hollywood Reporter. "They feel like she deserves it because of her career."
But French newcomer Marion Cotillard, 32, wowed critics with her poignant portrayal of Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose" and in January scored the best actress Golden Globe for the role.
"I think Marion Cotillard deserves to win," Vecchiarelli said. "There was something unsurprising about the fact that Julie Christie did a great job in her role."
Source
Odds & Sods
So I'm bad with numbers and haven't really been keeping up with the odds-makers. Thankfully Marion supporter Kit has and here is his take:
As of this morning, David Carr of the NEW YORK TIMES has predicted Marion as the winner on Sunday. Here's a little of what he said:
"Deep into the season it seemed Julie Christie would win for her role as a woman lost in the wilds of Alzheimer's disease, but the Bagger's (his pseudonym) instinct suggests that her legendary beauty and aura may not do the trick....Marion Cotillard did herself and LA VIE EN ROSE a world of good by graciously campaigning and spreading her charm....so the Bagger is going with Piaf's gorgeous doppelganger."
Others filing late predictions of Marion as the winner include David Ansen, NEWSWEEK; David Germaine, Associated Press; Moira MacDonald, SEATTLE TIMES; Bill Wine (?), Celebrity News Service; Jen Chaney, WASHINGTON POST; Jill Serjeant, Reuters, in the WASHINGTON POST, plus FILM EXPERIENCE, BOSTON HERALD, ATLANTA DAILY REPORT, and the MARIN INDEPENDENCE JOURNAL.
Much of the blowviating over Christie is by people who say, "I didn't see her film, but everyone is talking about it," or, "the Academy loves giving Oscars to old British actors," or "I didn't see any of the films but I respect her work." It reminds me of the opening song in GUYS & DOLLS, where the bettors are talking about the latest tip someone whispered in their ear as to what animal to bet: "I got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere, and I'm told that whenever the weather's clear, can do, can do, I hear that the horse can do." Or something like that. That group seems to have been reflecting what they heard rather than making up their own minds. Most people in the Academy are much more committed and serious about the weight of their votes (or at least the people I know), and they work in the field because they love talent and cherish hard work.
Younger journalists and "critics" chose Ellen Page, because they can relate to Juno's circumstances, I guess. But most seasoned writers seem to think "it's not her year." Well, there's Roger Ebert, long of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, who apparently has lost his reason over JUNO, but he's not the influence he once was. And none of these people vote for Oscars.
Kit also sent encouraging news earlier today:
This is from the NATIONAL POST, and will be hopefully prophetic. I like "Hollywood pundits have prematurely offered the best actress statue to icon Julie Christie....But hold on now. Marion Cotillard's astounding LA VIE EN ROSE portrait of Edith Piaf just could get the glory deserved.".....Betting for Las Vegas gamblers (and elsewhere) has moved to Cotillard, win 5/2, according to majorwager.com....
Update. If you're a betting man/woman:
But Christie is the only actress that requires more of a risk than a reward. Marion Cotillard (nominated for La Vie En Rose) is listed with 2/1 odds. You'll notice that in Cotillard's case, the number to the left is larger than the number to the right. This is where excelling in High School math really would have been important perhaps. The number to the left indicated your payout. The number to the right indicates how much you will have to bet to receive that payout. In this case (2/1), you would bet $1 to win $2. Of course if you were to bet $2, you would win $4 (for every $1 bet you win $2) and so on. Of course you win nothing if Cotillard doesn't take home an Oscar.Source. I might just make a little bet...(seriously).
The best payout for Cotillard is actually at Bookmaker.com, which has been in business since 1985 and is offering a 20% signup bonus. There, Cotillard pays out $2.25 for every $1.00 bet. Just 25 cents more but that adds up the more you wager. Bookmaker.com's utilizes the American Odds format. In other words Cotillard is listed as +225 and can be thought of as $1.00 pays out $2.25 or $10 pays out $22.50 or a $100 bet pays out $225.00. Notice how the decimal point keeps moving to the right depending on the size of the bet.
