Celine Dion’s godfather and godmother Michel and Claudette hated the film Aline, by actress and director Valérie Lemercier. They emptied their bag Tuesday night on the set of The week of 4 Julie, and their strong words contained no trace of love or friendship.
“My mother never spoke like that to René, and Céline never wanted for anything. We pass for a gang of Bougon. I’m sorry, but in Charlemagne, we didn’t have a cabin, and the house was always clean. We always say that we have never known misery because mom knew how to do everything and that dad had three jobs, ”said Claudette Dion to host Julie Snyder, tremolos in her voice.
In the feature film Aline, which hits theaters Thursday, Claudette Dion did not recognize her language, her family, or her roots. “It wasn’t a big success for me. I was sorry, ”said Claudette Dion at the start of the interview. About Valérie Lemercier, who plays the diva of Charlemagne on the big screen, Claudette Dion was not tender: “She paid herself a nasty trip on the back of Celine’s life,” she said .
Beside Claudette, Michel Dion nodded. Michel was Celine Dion’s stage manager for 30 years and spotted a ton of factual errors in the film.
For example, Celine Dion’s cheerful makeup artist never existed, Celine never got lost in her own home in Las Vegas, she didn’t pile sachets of sugar in her purse, and she isn’t. passed through the window of the family house with her wedding dress, in particular.
“These are details that everyone knows. There have been so many biographies, documentaries and DVDs, ”Michel Dion recalled. “Céline gave her life to everyone, we know it all by heart. See if we will swallow it, us, ”continued Claudette Dion.
In Aline, which lasts two hours, Claudette Dion did not appreciate that “Celine eats anyhow”, that she “drips” and that she “steals lunch”. ” I collapse. It’s not that, it has never been that, ”insisted Claudette Dion, who is played by Pascale Desrochers in the film.
As for Michel Dion, it is Antoine Vézina (very good, by the way) who embodies him. This character was renamed Jean-Bobin and is in fact an amalgamation of three of Celine’s brothers, namely Clément, Jacques and Michel. Contrary to what shows Aline, Michel Dion never wrote the music for It was only a dream, Celine’s first success. It was Jacques Dion who did it in 1981. And Maman Dion wrote the lyrics down.
I saw the movie Aline and I fully share the Dion family’s reservations. It’s a troublesome production.
First of all, Valérie Lemercier’s accent is zero and it really stands out among all the Quebec players. Already, things are starting badly for the credibility of the project. Imagine a Quebec actress who would play Edith Piaf – or Judith Pilaf – speaking with a Saguenay accent, it would not pass.
La Aline Dieu by Valérie Lemercier is a reductive version of the real Céline, which was not submitted to René Angélil, on the contrary. The boss was her, remember. And what about the fictitious names given to members of the Dion clan such as Anglomard Dieu (Adhémar Dion), Guy-Claude Kamar (René Angélil) or Jean-Bobin Dieu (Michel Dion)? It is so ridiculous. No one is called that here, so let’s see.
The special effects putting the face of Valérie Lemercier on the body of a child Celine Dion are really weird. Looks like a failed Benjamin Button pastiche. Also, there is a long scene where Celine’s siblings repeatedly utter the word “Votican” instead of “Vatican”, and we wonder: but who gave them such bad advice on set?
After hearing about the negative comments from the Dion family, Valérie Lemercier canceled the interview, which had been confirmed for several days, that she was to give to Julie Snyder at her Montreal hotel.
Joined by Press Tuesday evening, producer and host Julie Snyder said she was disappointed with Valérie Lemercier’s withdrawal. “I find it unfortunate that the very legitimate freedom of expression of Claudette and Michel Dion has irritated someone who claims to respect Celine Dion and her family. Basically, Mme Lemercier is canceling his presence on our show because members of the Dion family have spoken, for the very first time, on his film. All of Quebec, France and the French-speaking world were eager to know what members of the Dion family think of a film pasticating the life of their sister and theirs, ”replied Julie Snyder.
All men’s gold, well worth a little review, right?