By now, most of you have seen the beautiful new La vie est belle film starring Julia Roberts that launched worldwide yesterday. If not, take a look here.
Today I’ve got a little behind-the-scenes scoop of the making of the La vie est belle film by celebrated film director James Gray.
Gray chose to set down his cameras in “The Lot”, one of Hollywood’s most iconic studios that has witnessed the birth of many a cinematic masterpieces, including Guys and Dolls starring Marlon Brando, Some Like it Hot starring Marilyn Monroe and The Thomas Crown Affair starring Steve McQueen. Here, he gathered 100 technicians and 175 extras against the majestic three backdrops that took more than 15 days to build and install.
“This film speaks of the refusal to be confined to the small box of convenience and the need to look elsewhere to find beauty and, most importantly, a real sense of personal achievement,” the film-maker explains. This is a wonderful declaration of love to happiness, concluding at the heart of the French capital shown by Gray from a bright new perspective against the Paris night. “It was a huge challenge, as you can imagine, with Paris so often celebrated in cinema. To showcase the city, I wanted to display an immediately recognisable part – the Eiffel Tower – but in a mostly unfamiliar setting. So we opted for an unusual play on light with a pink-stained sky,” explains Gray.
When asked to comment on working and directing Julia, Gray says she has a “Rare vitality and enticing gentleness. The Julia you see in the city is the same as you see on screen: divine and completely genuine.”
AND THEN THERE’S THE DRESS…
The frock Julia Roberts wears in the film is a Haute Couture creation designed exclusively for her by Parisian designer Alexandre Vauthier, who collaborated with Lancôme several years ago.
“This dress was designed really, really quickly,” explains the designer. “Being in love with Julia Roberts, her look, her career and her appearances, the dress came to me in a flash! We needed something extremely elegant with a dash of sex appeal. Something very chic that dreams are made of. The idea was to create an iconic dress that would best embody Julia Roberts and allow her to really shine.”
This sheath in ivory silk crêpe was embroidered with 700 SwarovskiTM crystals by Maison Lesage. The work took 200 hours to complete, 150 of which were spent on the embroidery.
Genevieve Herr, Julia Roberts’ long-standing make-up artist, created the La vie est belle make-up for Lancôme using the following products:
- Foundation: Teint Miracle
- Blusher: Blush Subtil in 011 Brun Roche
- Eye liner: Le Stylo Waterproof in Black and Purple
- Eyeshadow: Ombre Hypnôse Palette in D02 Reflet D’Amethyste and and ST3 Terre D’Ivoire
- Mascara: Grandiôse in Noir Mirifique
- Lipstick: Rouge in Love 300M Beige Dentelle
GIVEAWAY
I have a few of the products used to create Julia’s look up for grabs. One lucky reader will stand a chance to win all five, valued at R2345. The prize includes the Blush Subtil (R530), Hypnôse Palette Doll eyes palette (R715), Rouge In Love Lipstick (R325), Khôl Hypnôse Stylo (R350) and the iconic Grandiôse Mascara (R455). To enter, subscribe to In My Bag (if you haven’t already), then leave a comment below telling me the name of the designer who created Julia’s couture dress. The winner will be drawn on Monday 29 february and notified by email.
