Review of Séraphine (2008) by Dr. Will Y — 06 Aug 2010

I decided to watch this for two reasons...the trailer made it look interesting and Yolande Moreau was the lead character. I only know of her from her small role in Amelie. I was curious to see how she would do in a leading role. I must say, she really is quite a great actress. If you look at her list of movies she?s been in (on RT), you?ll see that most of them are rated ?fresh.? I?ll be sure to keep an eye out for her movies.

As for this French film, it was good but not great. The main problem is that the movie is entirely too long and a bit dragged out. However, the true story of Seraphine was interesting to watch unfold. Seraphine (Yolande Moreau) is a housekeeper with a hidden talent...she is a natural artist. She is discovered by the owner of the house, who also is an art seller/buyer. Unfortunately, he has to flee the country (thanks to a little war going on) and doesn?t come back until 13 years later. He finds her again and promises her that her art work will go on exhibition and sell. Things don?t quite work out as planned and Seraphine is eventually put into an asylum where she dies many years later. Her artwork did finally receive the attention it deserved. She was later known as Seraphine of Senlis.

The backdrop of the movie was quite impressive. The landmarks and scenery were captivating. The directing style was okay. The director, Martin Provost, tended to stretch out scenes. For example, he would show a scene of Seraphine walking to a tree from what felt like a mile away and we get the honor of sitting there watching her walk and walk and walk and walk....you get the point. And other scenes felt like they were abruptly cut short to switch to the next scene...it just wasn't a smooth transition (bad editing). Other than that, everything else was fine.

I suppose this movie will only appeal to a few. I found it entertaining. Enjoy!