A French actress, who's been criticized for playing Céline Dion from age 5 to 50, says she hopes the singer will see the movie as 'a tribute'

• "Aline" is a music biopic, based on the life of Céline Dion.
• French actress Valérie Lemercier stars in the film as Aline, a musician based on Dion.

"Aline" opens with a bit of a disclaimer.

"This film is inspired by the life of Céline Dion. It is, however, a work of fiction," the opening title card declares.

So even though the story charts every part of Dion's life beat for beat, including her relationship with her manager, René Angélil, whom she met as a preteen and eventually married, the main character is named Aline Dieu.

Aline—who, like Dion, is from a Quebecois family with 14 children—is played by Valérie Lemercier at all ages of her life. The 58-year-old actress plays Aline at 5 years old. She's the teenage Aline, too, along with the teenage version, and the full-grown adult.

In part because of this, "Aline," which debuted at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, has drawn criticism from some of Dion's relatives.

"I think it's a lack of research. They were not authentic everywhere," Claudette Dion, Céline's sister, told local press in Canada. "I didn't hear our language, I didn't hear our roots and I didn't recognize mom. Our life is spread all over the world. Why reinvent history?"

The film was also savaged by American and British critics at Cannes. Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson described the film as one of the "strangest" biopics ever made.

However, "Aline" has been a box-office and a critical success in France and across the Francophone world. In February, Lemercier won best actress at the Césars, the French Oscars, for "Aline."

Lemercier, who's a major star in France best known for her off-kilter physical comedy that often borders on the line of controversial, spoke with Insider about why she decided to star in the biopic, whether she's heard from Dion since the film's release and the negative response from English-language audiences.

When Lemercier logged onto our video call, she has a small glass of red wine on hand and is out-flanked by a large window that backs onto the Champs-Élysées—one of the most famous streets in Paris.

Lemercier says she understands if Dion hasn't seen the movie yet

Insider: Congrats on the US release of "Aline." The film is, of course, inspired by the life of Céline Dion. I want to start by asking, why did you decide to make this film?

Lemercier: Oh, I've loved Céline's voice since 95 when I heard "Pour que tu m'aimes encore," which is maybe the best French record she made. She said that. But I heard that record a lot without knowing anything about her life, the big family of 14 children, the love story. That was my first approach to Céline.

And when I saw Rene Angélil's funeral, when I saw Céline's first steps alone, I was very touched by that new situation, and I wanted to speak about that love story. I spent one year watching everything, reading everything, and I quickly realized that love is the amazing part of that career and story.

One of the most talked-about aspects of the film is you playing Aline from age 5 to 50. I know you've done similar things before in the French TV sketch show "Catherine and Liliane," for instance, but why did you decide to do that for this film?

I'm a stand-up comedian in France and the first character I wrote was a little girl. It's something I like to do. And Céline, when she came to the USA, she was glamorous. She was 25. But at first, when she was a small girl, she was a strange girl.

I wanted to take part in that because it was special to me to portray such a little girl with bad teeth and bad hair. And it's not my old face on the baby's body. It's all me. When I'm at school in the film, I have a big desk, bigger than me so I seem small. And when I'm on the bed, as a child, we built a very big bed and my head seems small and the microphone is bigger than in real life. It's a mix of visual effects that are very sophisticated.

There is a lot of singing in the film. Are you the voice singing?

No, I'm not such a talent. It's a singer. It's a lady called Victoria Sio. She's a French Italian singer. I would not be able to sing so well.

It's been reported that Céline Dion's son, Rene-Charles, requested a copy of the film. Have you had any feedback from him or Céline?

I don't know if he saw the movie. We have absolutely no news of Céline but I know [of] some people very close to Rene, close to Céline, who love the movie. I understand it very much. I don't know if I'd be able to see a movie about myself. I don't know if it's something easy to do. I hope one time she will see the movie. I hope she will appreciate it and that she will see that it's a tribute.

It's been suggested in the press that you initially wanted to use the name Céline in the film but you weren't allowed. Is that true?

My co-writer told me, "Change the name it will be easier." It's not the issue of rights. Not at all. We think that it's better to be a little bit far from the real story because I want to put myself in the movie. I've spent 35 years on stage and I know what it is to be an artist, even if it's a smaller audience than Céline. I want to speak a little bit about myself too.

Lemercier admits 'Aline' could be viewed as 'freaky' by American audiences

The film has been very popular in France and the wider Francophone world. And you, of course, won the César Award for the role. However, there has been a lot more criticism from English-speaking audiences. Why do you think that is?

It could be freaky because I'm playing the part at 5, but at first, my character began at 6 months, alone in my drawer with one tooth. It was really funny but my producer asked me to cut it and I have done it but maybe it's more like a Cindy Sherman thing you know? It's something more arty than biopics, which are very classical.

It's not as classical as people have been used to. It's something special here. It's something personal. Of course, I understand that you could be a little bit scared, but I think the film is speaking about love.

What are your hopes for the film's American release? What do you hope audiences get from the film?

I mean, they chose to release the film in the US. It's not me who pays somebody for that. It's the first time and I hope it will be understood...I hope that somebody will understand why I've done the movie and the love I've put into the movie.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.