Maudie: Sua Vida e Sua Arte

Although shot in Canada, and although it is about a Canadian, I don't like affixing the term Canadiana to it. It is a Universal movie about the indomitable spirit that some people possess even when faced with horrendous turns of fate. Sally Hawkins is incredibly good as Maud and Ethan Hawke does a superb job of playing Everett Lewis. Hawkins has the accents , the movements, the wry smile and the light that just won't stop shining. Hawke's performance is very nuanced: his character was an emotional cripple and he was violent, but we also know how much he loved and admired his wife. It was a time when dirt poor men asked for nothing, did whatever they must to survive and didn't allow expression of feelings in their lives. Many reviewers have called him "vile", but he could have been a miner, for example, anywhere in the world as easily as a fish seller in Nova Scotia in 1930. I think Ethan Hawke did an amazing job of capturing that man. It has great cinematography, excellent score and a minimalist script that allows, through actual superb acting, to get to know a pair of characters in a movie like never before. Don't miss this one!!

When you are compelled to write a review, and you realise this is your first ever review of a film, you then understand the impact that a true classic has.

Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, well done! If you want to sit down to a less than fast, but utterly embracing film about life's journey, and how individuals are valued, how they react to outside pressures and put their whole world at risk, then this is the film for you .

Simply.. Brilliant.

I do NOT understand how it is possible that Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke went completely unnoticed by the Academy. It truly boggles my mind. All of the other reviews pretty much summed up my feelings for this film and the performances. I'm left speechless that NO NOMINATIONS WERE GIVEN!! How in the world did such incredible acting performances get unrecognized? Sally Hawkins was simply superb. Ethan Hawke was amazing. Maybe his best performance yet. This movie is a gem. Definite must-see. And you too, will be scratching your head as to WHY these amazing actors didn't get even the slightest nod. Wow.

I think Sally Hawkins was great in this year's The Shape of Water. I understand why she's getting attention for it and I think she would be a fine nominee. But really, there's no question in my mind that it's her performance in Maudie that is the much more impressive overall. She gives a career-best turn here, a completely internal performance that could have been all showy, broad theatrics had a lesser actress gotten the part. She's absolutely amazing and in a fair world would be getting nominated (if not winning) for this work. Ethan Hawke is also fantastic, showing that he can really shine in character parts like this.

Folk Art is art that is not defined by your traditional academic notions of what art should be, whether technical or aesthetic. Folk is an old word, from old high German, basically meaning people in general.

"Maudie" is a movie about folks, especially one very important central figure who happens to be a folk artist. Maud Lewis is her name, and it's very likely she never classified her art by any term whatsoever during her life, much less folk art. Her art is just something she did.

"Maudie" is a sweet little biopic movie that at times is a bit disturbing. The disturbing aspects are subtle. The creators/directors gloss over some of the finer points of her life, with some alterations of the truth. However, the important questions are asked, literally, during the movie. It's up to the viewer to see these aspects, or not, and take them for what they are. Your reactions or discernment thereof may depend on prior knowledge or research of the subject.

What is clear from almost the outset the movie, is that Maud and her husband led a difficult life - not quite but almost abject poverty. Yet Maud filled her life with beauty through her art. Flickers of relative fame touched her life briefly, but it was not until well after her death in 1970 that full appreciation was recognized, not that she really cared about these things.

"Maudie" is a small movie with big performances by the mains, especially Sally Hawkins. In my opinion, her performance as Maud is the best this year so far, but I can guarantee right now that you will hear her name come Oscar time next year. Ethan Hawke is also exceptional as her husband Everett, although the role itself is a bit more static. The supporting cast - mostly unknowns - does well in more cardboard cut- out roles, but Matchett, a Canadian actress who you might recognize from some American TV roles does a nice job as one of her earliest patrons.

Will you like this movie? I don't know, but I loved it. It is what it is, not an action movie, but a small art-house drama/biopic of a very interesting and amazing person who lived most of her life in obscurity. This movie affected me not just during the viewing, with tears streaming slowly down my face, but well after. The tears that came were not only sad but also from joy at her creations, but most of all they stemmed from my belief that beauty and sweetness deserves beauty and sweetness and, well, Maud had very little of that in her life.

Many biopics have been made of famous people that rose out of obscurity or extremely challenging situations or disabilities to achieve greatness and renown. What really interested and touched me about Maud's story is there was no rise.

(Interesting side note: Maud sold her paintings during her life for a few coins to a few dollars at most. Now her paintings are selling for six figures)