Maudie 2017

Well lord lord lordy Miss Maudie. Small gentle little movie about the real life self taught artist Maude Lewis who suffered with rheumatoid arthritis all her life as she lived in a small town in Nova Scotia in the 1930’s with her nasty aunt. She always loved to paint and her strong determination is at the heart of this moving film. Acted to the hilt by the wonderful Sally Hawkins Maudie answers an ad for a housekeeper from the isolated fisherman and local eccentric played by a surprising Ethan Hawke.

It’s a tempest in a tiny house from the word go as the two try to get used to each other, bickering and taunting each other but sticking it out. The house is so small that they have to sleep in the attic in a shared bed and soon they are more than just housekeeper and boss. Before we know it Maudie is painting away on every surface she can get her hands on including the walls, doors, windows and pieces of thrown away wood, and Hawke in his own way encourages her, because the paintings are selling for 5 bucks a piece, nice money back then. A summer resident played by a new to me young actress kari Matchett befriends Maudie and starts buying her work and encouraging her to go higher and higher in her goals as an artist and soon as the years flash and past before our eyes even Richard Nixon is buying her art.

This film should please all artists and non artists alike especially in the rich and amazing performance from Sally Hawkins. Granted this is old fashioned acting, but what a joy this Sally Hawkins is, and for those who have never seen her in anything you are in for a treat and this is a terrific place to introduce yourself to this great actress. I’m also happy to report that the film was directed by a woman Aisling Walsh who has done mostly movies for t.v. and hopefully will be doing more films down the road. There are various melodramatic touches here and there, a miserable brother, a lost child, poverty and despair but the pieces all work and I dare anyone to tell me that they weren’t moved by this soulful little movie. Hawkins has another big performance coming down the road in the “The Shape Of Water” and no doubt she will be among the 5 actresses up for an Oscar this year or at least I hope so.