Marion Cotillard is playing Marie/Lucie
English title: Pretty Things

Directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner Written by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, Virginie Despentes (novel) Genre Drama Tagline Theatrical Release France: 14/11/2001 DVD Release France: , USA: 09/10/2007 Starring Marion Cotillard, Stomy Bugsy, Patrick Bruel, Titoff, Ophélie Winter, Tony Amoni, Matthieu Touboul, Olivier Granier, Isabelle Tanakil

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Marie and Lucie are identical twins. Each is the other’s mirror image. On the surface they love each other. Deep down they hate each other’s guts. Or is it the other way around?

Lucie is a model of superficiality. She loves flashy cars, glamorous playboys and decadent sex. Marie is all integrity and authenticity. No make-up, no fancy clothes, a simple life and just man in her life: Sebastian.

Now Lucie, predictably fascinated by show business, is given the opportunity to become a singer. A dream come true.… except that she can’t sing to save her life. Unlike Marie, who accepts to perform in her stead, effectively impersonating her twin sister on stage.

That night, returning to Lucie’s place after the performance, she finds that her sister has committed suicide. Marie’s reaction is immediate and eventful : she pretends to be her sister.

Marie plunges into Lucie’s life, exploring the aspects of her own nature that she had always denied. Discovering the hidden sides of her sister’s life, she discovers herself.

Marie gets trapped in the game, intoxicated with deception, success and illusions. How can you remain a woman obsessed with truth, when you’ve taken on a persona made up of lies? Who can tell if the pure of heart are what they claim to be? Marie wants everything. Social success and privacy, purity and impurity, sex and tenderness. How far will she go?

She is undoubtedly the star of this film! She only has a few scenes as Lucie but she manages to believably portray her as different from Marie, yet as twin sister. This is a very strong and powerful performance of Marion that is bound to blow you away. She deservedly garnered a César award nomination for her performance.

• Filming Locations: Paris (France)
• Although Marion Cotillard has always enjoyed singing in her free time and was able to hit the right notes, she had to undergo intensive training to be able to sing the 2 songs like a true singer. She learnt it in 1 month.
• The concert scene was shot in November 2000 in a location called 'Zénith' during a concert of co-star Patrick Bruel. It was a live audience of about 6.000!
• Stomy Bugsy, Patrick Bruel are Ophélie Winter are from the music industry - yet, other than Marion, portray characters who don't sing in the film.
• Because of the emotionally demanding story Marion at first didn't want to take the role after all. It was only when she kept remembring the script and the story - and when her mother recommended she take the job - she finally agreed to play the twins. Lucky for us!

Although this is quite dark material and every time I watch this film I'm emotionally shattered I love it - it remains one of my favourite Marion films and definitely my favourite performance of hers. And I love her singing voice!
by Maria