Céline themed movies: "Aline/The Voice Of Love" and "Celine before Celine"

April 8, 2022 at 06:59 AM

I drove all night… to see “Aline” at the nearest theater (about a 2h45 drive one way)🤓

WHAT A FANTASTIC MOVIE! I’ve always been hopeful it was going to work, and I have to say it was entertaining the whole way through. I wouldn’t say it was perfect, but it was often quite funny and very touching at times—especially the ending.

I thought Valérie was impressive as young Céline. I cant fathom how seeing as her a 5 year-old could ruin the movie, because it was so brief and never really showed her face close up. But if you’re unable to suspend your belief for less than 5 minutes (like so many Americans apparently cannot) then I guess you’d be better off seeing the new Batman movie or whatever… it’s truly frustrating to hear these complaints, having seen it now. As Aline becomes an older kid/teen, I really thought she was becoming Céline. Her mannerisms were exactly that of a child who is sure of her dream, but not yet sure of herself.

Also, now that I’ve seen how the Dion family was portrayed, I find it so absurd and even amusing that Claudette and Michel broke down crying on TV about it. Their family was portrayed as very tight-knit, loving and so down to earth. The anecdote about the condiments was “sweet” and I did not read it as desperate or brutish, or, as Claudette so eloquently called it, “a gang of Bougon”.

The few other comments I have, I’m going to hide so I don’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it.

Criticisms of the movie:

1) Valérie’s lipsync was really bad in some parts. Particularly in RDMH, her face was far from the mic when she was dancing, and I found that very distracting.

2) I wish they would have used « Lolita » in the scene before Guy-Claude confronts her. I like that they included the song they used, and the lyrics worked up to a certain point, but …did they…really?!? It’s especially strange, I’d imagine, for a francophone audience who knows the original version. But perhaps Valérie thought Lolita was too spot-on and wanted to avoid risking an angry “me too” mob coming after her, the film, or Céline & René themselves.

3) The anachronistic differences didn’t bother me one but, as it still told her story. I just felt there were a few missing pieces to the way the story unfolded. That said, a few critics pointed out that the most dramatic moments in the film weren’t as deep as the real life ones they were meant to reflect, and I have to agree, but I doubt the average movie-goer would notice.

4) Valérie’s “distance” in the way she treated René’s death was so poignant. That scene was beautiful, and I hope Céline does see this film just for that—so she knows it was done with respect. The transition back to her Vegas shows did seem abrupt and I think a few lines about how short a time she grieved before going back on stage would have cemented the close of the film a lot more clearly for non-fans.

5) The closing song was perfect. It was so moving, and it really left me pondering why I didn’t love this song before seeing it in this context.

Oh, one more thing I noticed: the only French song without subtitles was « J’irai où tu iras ». I found that odd. Sure it’s basically one idiom after another, but any text on the screen is better than none IMO.

Go see this movie ASAP. I suspect it won’t last too long in the smaller theaters, maybe just one week. Don’t miss seeing it on the big screen!! It might be your only chance.

Edited April 8, 2022 at 07:05 AM by Chantemoi

April 8, 2022 at 03:10 PM

Aaren, I am so glad you got to see it and that you loved it as much as I did!!

April 8, 2022 at 04:19 PM

Reviews, continued -

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Vulture: https://www.vulture.com/2022/04/valrie-lemerciers-cline-dion-biopic-aline-reviewed.html

Thrillist: https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/aline-director-valerie-lemercier-interview-celine-dion

Film Threat: https://filmthreat.com/reviews/aline/

Edited April 8, 2022 at 04:25 PM by scielle

April 8, 2022 at 07:53 PM

I drove all night… to see “Aline” at the nearest theater (about a 2h45 drive one way)🤓

WHAT A FANTASTIC MOVIE! I’ve always been hopeful it was going to work, and I have to say it was entertaining the whole way through. I wouldn’t say it was perfect, but it was often quite funny and very touching at times—especially the ending.

I thought Valérie was impressive as young Céline. I cant fathom how seeing as her a 5 year-old could ruin the movie, because it was so brief and never really showed her face close up. But if you’re unable to suspend your belief for less than 5 minutes (like so many Americans apparently cannot) then I guess you’d be better off seeing the new Batman movie or whatever… it’s truly frustrating to hear these complaints, having seen it now. As Aline becomes an older kid/teen, I really thought she was becoming Céline. Her mannerisms were exactly that of a child who is sure of her dream, but not yet sure of herself.

Also, now that I’ve seen how the Dion family was portrayed, I find it so absurd and even amusing that Claudette and Michel broke down crying on TV about it. Their family was portrayed as very tight-knit, loving and so down to earth. The anecdote about the condiments was “sweet” and I did not read it as desperate or brutish, or, as Claudette so eloquently called it, “a gang of Bougon”.

The few other comments I have, I’m going to hide so I don’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it.

Criticisms of the movie:

1) Valérie’s lipsync was really bad in some parts. Particularly in RDMH, her face was far from the mic when she was dancing, and I found that very distracting.

2) I wish they would have used « Lolita » in the scene before Guy-Claude confronts her. I like that they included the song they used, and the lyrics worked up to a certain point, but …did they…really?!? It’s especially strange, I’d imagine, for a francophone audience who knows the original version. But perhaps Valérie thought Lolita was too spot-on and wanted to avoid risking an angry “me too” mob coming after her, the film, or Céline & René themselves.

3) The anachronistic differences didn’t bother me one but, as it still told her story. I just felt there were a few missing pieces to the way the story unfolded. That said, a few critics pointed out that the most dramatic moments in the film weren’t as deep as the real life ones they were meant to reflect, and I have to agree, but I doubt the average movie-goer would notice.

4) Valérie’s “distance” in the way she treated René’s death was so poignant. That scene was beautiful, and I hope Céline does see this film just for that—so she knows it was done with respect. The transition back to her Vegas shows did seem abrupt and I think a few lines about how short a time she grieved before going back on stage would have cemented the close of the film a lot more clearly for non-fans.

5) The closing song was perfect. It was so moving, and it really left me pondering why I didn’t love this song before seeing it in this context.

Oh, one more thing I noticed: the only French song without subtitles was « J’irai où tu iras ». I found that odd. Sure it’s basically one idiom after another, but any text on the screen is better than none IMO.

Go see this movie ASAP. I suspect it won’t last too long in the smaller theaters, maybe just one week. Don’t miss seeing it on the big screen!! It might be your only chance.

I agree with everything you’ve said!

I look forward to seeing it again this weekend.

April 8, 2022 at 09:18 PM

Maybe the general public won’t go to see this in theaters - but at least they’re reading about it!

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Screen Rant: https://screenrant.com/aline-2022-movie-reviews/

Third Coast Review: https://thirdcoastreview.com/2022/04/08/film-review-aline/

What’s wild to me is that at this point Aline, a non-major-studio foreign film, got more press and from more mainstream media than Celine’s actual last album. Roadside certainly did more to promo their investment than Sony did for Courage. Did LA Times, New Yorker, New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian and other newspapers of record review Courage? I don’t think most of them did. Certainly not all the outlets that are covering Aline.

Edited April 8, 2022 at 09:38 PM by scielle

April 8, 2022 at 09:36 PM

What’s wild to me is that at this point Aline, a non-major-studio foreign film, got more press and from more mainstream media coverage than Celine’s actual last album. Roadside certainly did more to promo their investment than Sony did for Courage.

I think this demonstrates that there is a special place for Céline in American media...and these last albums she has tried to prove that she is edgy and more than a diva. The general public doesn't give two figs, they want to see Céline being Céline. Then there's the fact that she so rarely releases music....out of sight, out of mind.

April 8, 2022 at 10:13 PM

I drove all night… to see “Aline” at the nearest theater (about a 2h45 drive one way)🤓

WHAT A FANTASTIC MOVIE! I’ve always been hopeful it was going to work, and I have to say it was entertaining the whole way through. I wouldn’t say it was perfect, but it was often quite funny and very touching at times—especially the ending.

I thought Valérie was impressive as young Céline. I cant fathom how seeing as her a 5 year-old could ruin the movie, because it was so brief and never really showed her face close up. But if you’re unable to suspend your belief for less than 5 minutes (like so many Americans apparently cannot) then I guess you’d be better off seeing the new Batman movie or whatever… it’s truly frustrating to hear these complaints, having seen it now. As Aline becomes an older kid/teen, I really thought she was becoming Céline. Her mannerisms were exactly that of a child who is sure of her dream, but not yet sure of herself.

Also, now that I’ve seen how the Dion family was portrayed, I find it so absurd and even amusing that Claudette and Michel broke down crying on TV about it. Their family was portrayed as very tight-knit, loving and so down to earth. The anecdote about the condiments was “sweet” and I did not read it as desperate or brutish, or, as Claudette so eloquently called it, “a gang of Bougon”.

The few other comments I have, I’m going to hide so I don’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it.

Criticisms of the movie:

1) Valérie’s lipsync was really bad in some parts. Particularly in RDMH, her face was far from the mic when she was dancing, and I found that very distracting.

2) I wish they would have used « Lolita » in the scene before Guy-Claude confronts her. I like that they included the song they used, and the lyrics worked up to a certain point, but …did they…really?!? It’s especially strange, I’d imagine, for a francophone audience who knows the original version. But perhaps Valérie thought Lolita was too spot-on and wanted to avoid risking an angry “me too” mob coming after her, the film, or Céline & René themselves.

3) The anachronistic differences didn’t bother me one but, as it still told her story. I just felt there were a few missing pieces to the way the story unfolded. That said, a few critics pointed out that the most dramatic moments in the film weren’t as deep as the real life ones they were meant to reflect, and I have to agree, but I doubt the average movie-goer would notice.

4) Valérie’s “distance” in the way she treated René’s death was so poignant. That scene was beautiful, and I hope Céline does see this film just for that—so she knows it was done with respect. The transition back to her Vegas shows did seem abrupt and I think a few lines about how short a time she grieved before going back on stage would have cemented the close of the film a lot more clearly for non-fans.

5) The closing song was perfect. It was so moving, and it really left me pondering why I didn’t love this song before seeing it in this context.

Oh, one more thing I noticed: the only French song without subtitles was « J’irai où tu iras ». I found that odd. Sure it’s basically one idiom after another, but any text on the screen is better than none IMO.

Go see this movie ASAP. I suspect it won’t last too long in the smaller theaters, maybe just one week. Don’t miss seeing it on the big screen!! It might be your only chance.

I agree with all that you included under the spoilers and I'll add

I felt a disconnect between the presentation of her personal life and her professional. Other than two quick lines in her younger years we don't really get a sense of the passion Celine has for singing. Yes, she's said she sang for Rene but an international career was HER dream, Rene helped her get there but the movie doesn't really project that imo. They glossed over the milestones in her career (Eurovision competition, MHWGO, her Vegas accomplishments, and more), they didn't show the way her fans love her, etc.

So when she gets a standing ovation it didn't feel as moving as it should have. Same for the song choice at the end. Ordinaire is one of my big faves from Celine because I think it represents her very well & it's a beautiful song, but because of this disconnect to her love for her career & personal life the song choice didn't have that emotional punch for me.

There were parts that felt random like her return to Vegas after TCWT, having the twins, her father passing away, and then she gets lost for a whole day in Vegas but we see no resolution we just jump forward to her singing. Some moments that could've/should've been more felt only anecdotal.

I feel like as a fan knowing everything I know about her I wasn't as entertained as I could've been, but trying to see it from the pov of a non-fan maybe they'd enjoy it more or maybe they'd be bored. It had cute moments but I don't feel it was very entertaining. It was an okay film imo.

I found the characterization of Celine endearing (like the taking of sugar packets which I took to represent part of her superstitious side, and the moment where her brother shows that she doesn't actually carry anything in her purse lol) but not very Celine-ish a lot of the time. Too demure for the Celine we know. Celine is sweet, innocent, and can be shy, but she also has a very energetic and outgoing personality and I feel like that was lacking. Celine herself has said that she can be a lot lol.

I also noticed there weren't many stage scenes and when there were the stage design was quite bare. Not to mention Valerie's performance when playing "Aline" on stage was pretty weak, she did well in all other scenes but in the performances she felt very robotic and forced. Maybe that's why they chose not to have many stage scenes.

About Valerie playing young Celine, it didn't bother me much but it felt like it wasn't very necessary. They could've had an actual child play those parts and then maybe Valerie could play her from late teen to adulthood. Like from the moment she starts falling in love with Rene to the end.

Edited April 8, 2022 at 10:15 PM by maki_Dion-er

April 8, 2022 at 10:13 PM

I think this demonstrates that there is a special place for Céline in American media...and these last albums she has tried to prove that she is edgy and more than a diva. The general public doesn't give two figs, they want to see Céline being Céline. Then there's the fact that she so rarely releases music....out of sight, out of mind.

Agreed.

The general public wants Celine to be Celine. Not LP, Sia, or Adele. There’s a hunger for Celine just as she is. I hope Celine and her team understand this as she returns to the spotlight.

The last authentically Celine album in English, in my opinion, was A New Day Has Come.

April 8, 2022 at 10:22 PM

I think this demonstrates that there is a special place for Céline in American media...and these last albums she has tried to prove that she is edgy and more than a diva. The general public doesn't give two figs, they want to see Céline being Céline. Then there's the fact that she so rarely releases music....out of sight, out of mind.

I think it has more to do with the latter (and most of mainstream media more interested in new artist music than veteran artists releasing new music) than her not being the Celine the public wants.

We also have to consider that Celine is releasing the music she connects to. Not to mention there aren't many writers focusing on power ballads like in the 90s.

No matter if she releases classic Celine style ballads or experiments, media won't cover her new music like they would for newer artists and neither will the public rush out to listen to her any more than with the music she is releasing now (which imo, isn't far off from what Celine has always done. A good mix of ballads and other stuff).

Edited April 8, 2022 at 10:23 PM by maki_Dion-er

April 9, 2022 at 01:07 AM

I read that there were 61 places (imagine that means cities but possibly theaters) showing the film in the USA, so it is out there!

April 9, 2022 at 05:29 AM

I saw the movie months ago, but just came back from seeing Aline in the theatre with 2 friends that are non-Celine fans, but appreciate her talent. They liked the movie enough and gave it a 7/10. They couldn’t get over the CGI of an adult woman portraying Céline when she was young. I enjoyed the movie still and they all fell in love with Mama Dion/Sylvette. The pacing for the second half of the movie is lackluster compared to the first hour, but it’s still great nonetheless. The liberties they took, makes sense as the general public wouldn’t know either way like we would. I think it’s quite endearing, but my friend that’s a girl, always points out that when Céline talks, she looks at René as if to make sure what she is saying is okay… as if she needs his permission or is correct in what she says. I played devil’s advocate a bit, but a lot of non Celine fans seem to think that as well. Besides the three of us, there were only 2 other groups in the theatre, 7 total. Covid is running ramped again here, but the movie also was never marketed or anything besides getting reviewed by critics.

April 9, 2022 at 10:18 PM

I thought Valérie was impressive as young Céline. I cant fathom how seeing as her a 5 year-old could ruin the movie, because it was so brief and never really showed her face close up.

I got the sense they either responded to or anticipated the CGI criticism for young Celine, so they got shy about showing her as a young girl. I think not showing her face up close took away from the film, particularly the wedding scene.

Maybe in the Director's Cut they went a diff. direction

April 9, 2022 at 11:50 PM

57% Rotten Tomatoes …

April 10, 2022 at 01:08 AM

I imagine some Celine haters are going there just to downvote the film. However, given the typical ratings on Rotten Tomatoes that I can recall, that ain't bad lol

April 10, 2022 at 02:41 AM

I’ll rate the movie 6.8/10. The movie is s just too fast and then you’ll be shocked that guy is already sick on bed with dextrose on his hand lol

April 11, 2022 at 01:06 AM

Best Average Per Theater this week-end in the US movie Box Office

However, I am surprised, is it been played in only 1 cinema across the entire country?

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2022W14/?sort=perTheaterAverageGross&ref_=bo_we__resort#table

April 11, 2022 at 01:33 PM

Fans you can give your critics in Rotten Tomatoes. It’s officially open.

April 11, 2022 at 06:54 PM

It’s officially certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes! Hope it stays that way. Thankfully more critics are being open minded to Valerie’s decision to portray Celine as a child.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/aline

April 11, 2022 at 10:59 PM

New from Carl Wilson for Slate:

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Anyone here familiar with the play he mentions at the end, Bliss?

https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/bliss/

(I actually lived in London when it was staged there, pity I never saw it!)

April 12, 2022 at 09:51 AM

It’s officially certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes! Hope it stays that way. Thankfully more critics are being open minded to Valerie’s decision to portray Celine as a child.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/aline

YES!

April 12, 2022 at 04:31 PM

Just dropped down to 59 again - and, interestingly, it was Carl Wilson’s review that did it.

Glad the audience score is high! Hopefully the critic score will go back up to 60 again.

April 13, 2022 at 01:32 AM

Well it absolutely tanked at US box office (only $21k across 61 screens) so it ain’t gonna last!

April 13, 2022 at 09:24 AM

Well it absolutely tanked at US box office (only $21k across 61 screens) so it ain't gonna last!

is that tanking though? Or is that still 'pretty good' for a French (foreign) movie? :shrug: I mean it was never gonna make millions in the States! :giggle:

April 13, 2022 at 10:58 AM

is that tanking though? Or is that still 'pretty good' for a French (foreign) movie? I mean it was never gonna make millions in the States!

Oh sure it wasn’t, but it made ~$350 per theater, which is probably less than an average ticket to a Céline show these days!

April 13, 2022 at 01:35 PM

Independent films are rarely blockbusters. The thing Aline needs in the USA is promotion. Independent film like this will never be a blockbuster, but it can surely do way better than it currently is.

But most people do not know it is out and never heard of it! And I speculate much of the Celine fan community has no interest in promoting it because they are being Claudettes about it.

April 13, 2022 at 02:46 PM

But most people do not know it is out and never heard of it! And I speculate much of the Celine fan community has no interest in promoting it because they are being Claudettes about it.

Claudettes was the name given to the dancers dancing with Claude François on stage. They were sexy and energetic.

April 13, 2022 at 04:33 PM

is that tanking though? Or is that still 'pretty good' for a French (foreign) movie? I mean it was never gonna make millions in the States!

I totally agree. It's a miracle that it's even being shown.

April 13, 2022 at 08:39 PM

Last night I was watching “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” and it made “Aline” look suddenly very pale by comparison. Now THAT is how you make a biopic! It’s an absolute must-see film. The young actress, Jessica Chastain, embodied Tammy Faye with such energy—she gave it her all—and it made me realize how tame Valerie’s performance was. Of course, the makers of “Tammy Faye” embraced the camp ten times what Valerie did, but without making fun of Tammy Faye or being disrespectful.

Also, the flow of this movie’s plot was much smoother. And perhaps that’s because it was funnier throughout, I don’t know, but overall I think it was a better film and it left me wishing “Aline” was bolder in that way. Perhaps they played it too safe. Many critics have said there’s no clear message about what the film is about, and after seeing this other movie, I have to agree.

Here’s the trailer:

Edited April 13, 2022 at 08:41 PM by Chantemoi

April 13, 2022 at 09:14 PM

I also really enjoyed The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

I think Aline could have easily been funnier throughout without being disrespectful to Celine.

But I watched Aline for the second time, and I still very much enjoyed it.

I picked up on a lot of little things that I missed in the first viewing.

April 13, 2022 at 09:32 PM

Must be the language barrier . The audience laughed more than I have ever seen them laugh before in Paris. Real, belly laughs.

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