BFI Screen Talk with Marion Cotillard

It was just by sheer luck that I logged into Twitter on Friday when the BFI tweeted that a limited number of tickets had become available for a Screen Talk with Marion Cotillard on the 14th October, as part of the London Film Festival. Prior to this, I’d resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to attend the festival in any way and would have to content myself to watching the entire event unfold over the Internet from the comfort of my room. Well, I’m all about the Impulse Buy these days and within minutes I’d bought myself a ticket and smugly watched as the event sold out.

I’d never been to the BFI Southbank before, and after my visit on Sunday it’s clear I’ve found my spiritual home. If I hadn’t had to leave so I could finish reading about Germany’s diplomatic and economic woes pre-1914 then I would have stayed for hours. It sounds silly – I know – but wow, walking through the doors for the first time was a feeling I won’t forget. The entire building is just a love affair with film and the atmosphere was just incredible: everywhere I looked there were people huddled clutching tickets and discussing films.

The fission of excitement I’m guaranteed to get when walking into a theatre or cinema always takes me by surprise, but today I was ready for it, slightly giddy as I sank into my red velvet seat to get settled for the talk and covertly taking a few cheeky pictures before it began and an usher caught me.

There’s no two ways about it, I want to be Marion Cotillard.

I adored her in La Vie en Rose; hated her (in a good way!) in Inception; and wanted to be her after she became the first person to wear a piece from Raf Simon’s debut Dior couture collection at the London premiere of The Dark Knight Rises (Google her: she looked ah-may-zing).

She spoke about her career thus far, beginning and ending with her latest film – Rust and Bone – that premiered on Saturday at the Odeon West End, and covering everything from her first forays into the French film industry; her loss of passion for her craft and subsequent decision to quit and work for Greenpeace, only halted by a call from Tim Burton; her Oscar winning turn as Edith Piaf in 2008’s La Vie en Rose that changed her life; being star-struck when working with Woody Allen (“impressed to the point I almost couldn’t act!”); the non-studio feeling on Christopher Nolan’s projects; and desperately wanting to do a comedy with Will Farrell (her “secret” crush). The discussion was interspersed with clips from her most notable work: Love Me If You Dare; La Vie en Rose; Nine; Midnight in Paris and concluding with a powerful scene from Rust and Bone, before opening up the floor for questions – the majority of which were from adoring male fans…

Cotillard was simultaneously exactly what I expected and a total surprise.

She depicted glamour and charm in that effortlessly chic French way; the red sole of her Louboutins flashing when she scuttled off stage for each film clip. Comments on her talent were self-depreciating in an almost quintessentially British manner, and she was equally forthcoming in pointing out the flaws in her performances and celebrating the work of those she’s had the fortune to act alongside. She positively gushed about freaking out with “the girls: Penelope, Judi and Nicole” on the set of Nine; couldn’t speak highly enough of Woody Allen; and praised the dedication to story-telling in the face of huge multi-million dollar studios as demonstrated by Christopher Nolan. In this sense, she was exactly what I expected: stunning, fashionable and just the right amount of practised modesty.

However, her responses were occasionally halting, her words tripping over themselves in their haste and the language barrier reared its ugly head several times. Her answers certainly weren’t as polished as I’d assumed they’d be. I was blindsided by her affiliation with Greenpeace: she spoke with unfaltering enthusiasm, particularly in relation to her latest film, Rust and Bone, where she faced the inner turmoil of taking on a character that trains killer whales at a marine park, a job in direct conflict with her personal views. I assumed she was going to be like a stereotypical celebrity: just putting her name on the right charity to gain her appropriate publicity, but she was genuinely impassioned by the cause. Whether that personal passion helps her gain a second Academy Award will remain to be seen, but the critical reception of Rust and Bone has been pretty impressive so far thus a nomination – at least – doesn’t seem too far out of the realms of possibility.

For me, the talk highlighted that Cotillard is fully aware she is on the precipice of greatness and as a result is even more appreciative of every opportunity that comes her way. Despite already being an Oscar and Cesar winning actress at the age of 37 she clearly has so much more to give, be it in small French films or at the helm of a Hollywood blockbuster: both of which she has already demonstrated she can handle with aplomb.

It is no surprise, therefore, that America came calling (even though it still is for her) and I’m excited to see where this will take her in the future. While she continues to make the transition into a major international star and household name, I will watch and blog in earnest, looking out for the Will Farrell-Judi Dench-Jonah Hill comedy in amongst poignant and thoughtful choices. I hope she’s not too seduced by Hollywood in the coming years and continues to seek out directors as serious about story-telling as she is. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this periodically leads her back to France as she lights up the screens of French cinema so beautifully. After all, as the saying (sort of) goes, you can take the girl out of Paris, but you can’t take the Paris out of the girl.

 Rust and Bone, cert. 15, released in the UK 2nd November 2012.

Put in charge of his young son, Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Ali's bond with Stephanie (Marion Cotillard), a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident.