Séraphine

From the original 2009 review: “The film explores the life and work of the primitive painter known as Séraphine de Senlis, especially as concerns her relationship with the man who discovered her, Wilhelm Uhde. The first part of the film establishes a picture of Séraphine as a strange fixture in the small town of Senlis. She’s preoccupied and intensely religious, working odd jobs and spending her money on painting supplies. … Uhde—a critic and art collector known for being the first to buy paintings by Picasso and Braque and for discovering Henri Rousseau—has fled Paris due to anti-German sentiment over the looming world war. … Where the film scores—and scores very highly—is in the characterizations of Séraphine and Uhde, both of whom emerge as wholly formed complex creations. But they’re complete only in the sense of their innate sense of reality. The film allows them to retain a degree of mystery—suggesting that it is simply not possible for either the filmmaker or the viewer to know them any better than this. They keep their innermost selves to themselves. That—along with the excellent performances from Ulrich Tukur and especially from Yolande Moreau—is what makes the film something special.” For the full review go to: www.mountainx.com/movies/review/seraphine