We went to the Théâtre Michel to see a performance of the play Do I Look Like Arletty?, the famous play that won two Molière Awards. So, what did we think?

At 9:00 p.m., the theater suddenly darkened as a woman, dressed all in silver, slipped offstage and took a seat on one of the orchestra balconies. With a headscarf, fur around her neck, and glasses on her nose, actress Elodie Menant perfectly embodied the character of Léonie Bathiat. A lively musical number followed, during which she was joined by the three actors who would share the stage with her for the duration of this captivating performance. Here we are, embarking on the incredible story of the great Arletty, a biopic as delightful as it is revealing.

Let's go back to 1898, the year Léonie Bathiat was born to a laundress mother and a tram driver father. A troubled, though ultimately happy, childhood, where the future star went from one encounter to another, both friendly and romantic. From her first stirrings of love to the beginning of her illustrious career, the young Arletty is portrayed as a free spirit, fiercely independent, trapped in a world to which she didn't belong. A thirst for life that never waned until her arrival in Paris, where she discovered cabaret, singing, dancing, modeling, and above all, cinema. A revelation for this raw talent, who would try her hand at roles tailor-made for her by Marcel Carné, Jacques Prévert, and Henri Jeanson, finding a fame she hadn't dared hope for. Until the day her career was shattered when she fell in love with a German officer during the Occupation, a romantic affair that made her a suspect in collaboration and earned her the now-famous line we all know: "My heart is French, but my ass is international!" A stint in a Jean Cocteau play followed, rekindling her love for the stage, and then came the imminent end of life for the 94-year-old actress, now blind, who had "invented her style and found it without searching" (Henri Jeanson).

A tumultuous, outlandish, and often dizzying destiny, admirably brought to life by Eric Bu and Elodie Menant, co-authors of the play. Johanna Boyé's direction shines with its efficiency and relevance, making this musical biopic a true revelation. It certainly recounts the life of Léonie Bathiat, but also showcases the talent of these four actors, united on stage in a dazzling synergy, portraying no fewer than 40 iconic figures, from De Gaulle to Cocteau. For 90 minutes, theater, cabaret, dance, and song blend seamlessly, with a thoughtful selection of sequences that make this show a resounding success, confirmed by the two Molière Awards it has already won. A play brimming with oxymorons, Do I Look Like Arletty? reveals the joy, sadness, love, nonchalance, and ups and downs of a turbulent life, between the Auvergne region and Paris, between the factory and the stage, and between solitude and encounters. Without ever resorting to caricature, the show offers a moment of laughter, a most welcome interlude that is as informative as it is entertaining, in a realistic and whirlwind biography that is a challenge met with flying colors. In short, a masterful ode to the euphoria of life, to freedom, and to modernity!