Séraphine

Reviewer: James Van Maanen
Rating(out of 5): ****½

The first time I viewed Séraphine (which made its U.S. debut as part of the FSLC's 2009 Rendez-vous with French Cinema), I knew nothing about this remarkable film, including the fact that the title character had indeed lived as a noted "outsider" artist in early 20th Century France. Yet this in no way impacted my enjoyment and understanding of the film. As bizarre and surprising as any fictional character, Séraphine comes to enormous life via the great talent of its leading actress Yolande Moreau (When the Sea Rises) and the writer/director Martin Provost. The film walked away with seven of the nine French César awards for which it had been nominated (Best Picture, Actress, Screenplay, Costumes, Score, Photography and Décor).

I find it rare in any historical film when every detail seems correct, but that's the case here. Taking the bare bones of what is known about this woman, Provost creates a rich, real world in which Séraphine labors (as a maid), sings, prays and paints, and in the process gives us one of the great films about an artist. Granted Séraphine is atypical of an artist depicted on film, in her lack of glamour and the kind of melodrama we generally expect. Moreau offers such dedication and commitment to the role that her performance deserves to live on in high regard for ages to come. Provost fills in some of this woman's history but wisely leaves out much of the explanation. Viewers can piece together their own reasons for the what, why and how without disturbing the very real sense of time and place that the filmmaker, his cast and crew have created.

What most surprises me is how everything we see and hear in this film seems right -- from Moreau's revelatory performance to an old automobile, from the artist's notebook and the plates that set the table to the unkempt grass growing outside a country home. Seraphine takes you back nearly a century into a world you may think you know but will not have really experienced until you view this film. Seeing it a second time on DVD made me appreciate all the more its pleasures -- quiet and intense, as is Séraphine herself (except when she's doing her amazing singing). There's not a lot of dialog in the movie; instead it's the tableaux that carries things (the cinematography is by Laurent Brunet): the film's depiction of nature, the art Séraphine makes from it, and the wonderful period clothes, architecture (this is France, so it's all still there, of course) and the artifacts.

What this unique film does best of all is take you into the mind and soul of the artist as no movie I've seen has managed. Moreau, without explaining anything, is consistently specific and believable, and Provost chooses how and what to show and tell so well that this world comes beautifully, richly to life. The only other major performance of note is that of the fine German actor Ulrich Tukur (above, right, from The Lives of Others and the current North Face) as the art dealer Wilhelm Uhde, an emotionally reserved but smart and caring fellow who discovers Seraphine’s work. Tukur is, as always, excellent -- and the right choice for this role.