Aline (film)

Aline
Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2021; 5 years ago
Founder	Valérie Lemercier (co-creator, director, lead actress)
Headquarters	France / Canada
Products	Musical comedy-drama film
Parent	Rectangle Productions, Gaumont, TF1 Films Production, De L'Huile, Caramel Film, Belga Productions

Aline is a 2021 musical comedy-drama film co-created, directed, and led by Valérie Lemercier. The story offers a fictionalized account inspired by the life of Céline Dion, with Lemercier embodying "Aline Dieu," a Canadian vocalist who attains worldwide fame. Lemercier plays Aline throughout her entire life span, with digital effects applied in post-production to reflect her age, while the singing voice is provided by French artist Victoria Sio.

The movie was produced through a collaboration between Rectangle Productions, Gaumont, TF1 Films Production, De L'Huile, Caramel Film, and Belga Productions, with a production budget of €23.6 million (approximately $25.3 million). It premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival on July 13 and subsequently released in France on November 10, 2021 by Gaumont and in Canada on November 26, 2021 by Maison 4:3. Globally, the film earned $11.1 million at the box office.

Although critical reception was mixed, Aline secured four nominations at the 47th César Awards, including Best Film, with Lemercier receiving the award for Best Actress.

Plot

In Quebec, Canada, working-class parents Anglomard and Sylvette Dieu raise a large family of thirteen children in a modest home. The youngest and fourteenth child is Aline, named after a song by Christophe.

The Dieu household’s love for music deeply influences the reserved Aline, who performs ‘Mamy Blue’ during a family wedding celebration. Aspiring to become a singer, Sylvette writes Aline’s first song with assistance from her eldest son. They send a demo tape to record executive Guy-Claude Kamar, who eventually meets the family and is captivated by Aline’s talent, aiming to launch her as an international star.

Aline’s initial albums and hit songs achieve success in both Quebec and France. As she grows older, she takes a hiatus to refine her style and musical direction. While touring, Aline develops romantic feelings for Guy-Claude, though Sylvette disapproves because of their age difference. After winning a European song competition in Dublin, Aline and Guy-Claude begin a private relationship that initially meets family resistance but is ultimately embraced.

During a talk show performance of ‘Pour que tu m'aimes encore’, Aline refrains from disclosing the song’s personal inspiration. Guy-Claude proposes marriage during an Italian tour; they wed with the Dieu family in attendance. While pursuing pregnancy through IVF treatments, Aline injures her voice performing ‘All by Myself’, necessitating months of vocal rest. Encouraged by Guy-Claude, she records ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and hires French stylist Fred following a successful awards ceremony appearance.

After unsuccessful IVF attempts, Aline gives birth to a son named Junior and later twins. She rises to international superstardom but grows tired of constant touring and media jokes about her marriage. After Guy-Claude passes away due to illness, Aline struggles with grief and wanders through Las Vegas unrecognized before performing ‘Ordinaire’ at a casino hotel, where Fred expresses concern for her state.

Cast

Valérie Lemercier as Aline Dieu (inspired by Céline Dion)
- Victoria Sio provides Aline's singing voice
Sylvain Marcel as Guy-Claude Kamar (based on René Angélil)
Danielle Fichaud as Sylvette Dieu (modeled on Thérèse Dion)
Roc Lafortune as Anglomard Dieu (inspired by Adhémar Dion)
Antoine Vézina as Jean-Bobin Dieu
Pascale Desrochers as Pascale Dieu
Jean-Noël Brouté as Fred
Sonia Vachon as Martine Lévêque
Alain Zouvi as Docteur Lablanchette
Yves Jacques as TV presenter

Release

The movie debuted at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and was released in Canada in November 2021. Before its launch, the Dion family expressed concerns about inaccuracies in the film and felt it depicted them unfavorably. Nevertheless, Dion's manager gave the film his endorsement; Dion herself has not made any public statements, although Lemercier mentioned that Dion’s son René-Charles asked to watch the film privately.

Box office

Aline generated $667,308 across the US and Canadian markets and accumulated $10.5 million internationally, resulting in a global total of $11.2 million against an estimated production cost of $25.3 million.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 58% approval rating with an average score of 5.5/10, described as an "unforgettable blend of the conventional and the singularly strange." On Metacritic, it has a score of 53 out of 100 based on 24 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews." In France, AlloCiné reports an average press rating of 4.1/5.

Kyle Buchanan of The New York Times highlighted Lemercier's unusual choice to portray Aline throughout her life, describing it as unsettling and distracting from the film’s narrative. Peter Debruge of Variety noted that the film avoids offending Dion’s fans, resulting in a reverential tone akin to a faith-based biopic, focusing mainly on personal and professional challenges with minimal conflict, making it a satisfying but sentimental watch.

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Reference(s)
César Awards	February 25, 2022	Best Film	Edouard Weil, Alice Girard, Sidonie Dumas	Template:Nom	^[1]^[2]
		Best Director	Valérie Lemercier	Template:Nom	^[1]^[2]
		Best Actress	Valérie Lemercier	Template:Won	^[3]
		Best Supporting Actor	Sylvain Marcel	Template:Nom	^[1]^[2]
		Best Supporting Actress	Danielle Fichaud	Template:Nom
		Best Original Screenplay	Valérie Lemercier, Brigitte Buc	Template:Nom
		Best Sound	Olivier Mauvezin, Arnaud Rolland, Edouard Morin, Daniel Sobrino	Template:Nom
		Best Costume Design	Catherine Leterrier	Template:Nom
		Best Production Design	Emmanuelle Duplay	Template:Nom
		Best Visual Effects	Sébastien Rame	Template:Nom
Prix Iris	June 5, 2022	Best Actor	Sylvain Marcel	Template:Nom	^[4]
		Best Actress	Danielle Fichaud	Template:Nom
		Best Costume Design	Ginette Magny, Camille Janbon, Catherine Leterrier	Template:Nom
		Best Hairstyling	Lyne Lapiana, Sandrine Masson, Silvine Picard, Rémy Pilot	Template:Nom
		Best Makeup	Kathy Kelso, Marie Lastennet, Sarah Mescoff	Template:Nom
		Best Casting	Nathalie Boutrie	Template:Nom
		Public Prize	Nominations revoked due to majority French production status
		Prix Iris for Most Successful Film Outside Quebec				Template:Nom

External links

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[4] Stéphanie Nolin, "Gala Québec Cinéma 2022 : Vincent-Guillaume Otis sacré meilleur acteur". Showbizz, June 5, 2022.

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