Maudie Paints the Picture of a Unique Artist

          Just a few weeks go I was talking about how hard it is to see Canadian movies. Well luckily, one is now available over in fairly wide release, and I highly urge you to go out and see it, not just to support Canadian film, but also because it’s really good.
          If you’ve never seen a Maud Lewis painting, they’re pretty nice. And Maud Lewis herself was pretty interesting, having suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since birth, and painted all her famous works from her husband’s small hut-like house in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia. Aisling Walsh isn’t a director I’ve heard of before, but after directing Maudie, the life-story of this painter, I’ll be keeping an eye on her career in the future.
          Beginning in the 1930s, Maud Dowley (Sally Hawkins) is distraught after her brother sells their family home. She determines soon after to assert her independence. When a rough standoffish fish peddler called Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke) catches her eye, she applies for and is given the job of his live-in cleaner for his small shack outside town. Over time, she begins to beautify the home with her art, and it’s not long before her paintings sell and gain some notoriety on an international scale.
          There’s no mistaking the Canadian identity to this film. Though it was shot in Newfoundland, it conveys that unique Maritime beauty and the character of the region as well as Nova Scotia does. The cinematography’s great; we’re treated to very well composed shots of the landscape, the coast, even the towns of Marshalltown and Digby, and the characters against all of them. The intimate scenes of Maud painting are very nice too, relating the closeness and utter emotion tied into her work. Hawkins does a lot of the painting herself and this really adds to the level of believability. The art style of Maud Lewis is quite simple, favouring a lot of outdoor scenes and tranquil environments rendered using minimalist colours and shapes, but rich and beautiful. Hawkins not only mimics this well in the scenes of composition, but imbues the work with real heart. The attention on the process and what inspires Maud, as well as the art itself is a sure sign this film is a celebration of art, and specifically Maud Lewis’ paintings.
          But the story’s not just about her art, it’s about the woman herself. The movie is generally just tracing Maud’s work and her relationship with Everett over her lifetime, but what keeps it engaging is Sally Hawkins’ soulful performance. She’s absolutely committed and it shows remarkably. There’s great nuance with which she portrays the physical frailty of this character masking a passionate drive. She puts up with a great deal in this film, but remains a kind sweetheart through all of it. Yet when she needs to be emphatic, she can summon an unlikely emotional strength. She’s also got the most loveable smile you’ve ever seen. It’s easily the best performance of the year thus far, and I hope isn’t forgotten come Academy Awards time. Her partner is also played skilfully by Ethan Hawke. And it’s in the presentation of his character that the film is shamelessly honest. Theirs is not a modern romance. Everett’s not a likeable character for a good portion of the film. He’s introverted and antisocial, which leads to him mistreating Maud in a number of her early scenes of her housework. However the film does share the details of where he comes from and his basic fishermans’ lifestyle, providing some understanding for his personality. And Hawke plays Everett’s slow reliance on Maud, his growing attachment to her well, but also his discomfort when she starts becoming famous. Both of them feel like very real Maritime folk whom anyone who’s spent enough time down east would recognize, particularly as the film chronicles their later years. There aren’t a lot of other characters, but they’re all performed ably by actors such as Gabrielle Rose, Kari Matchett, and Zachary Bennett. 
          The story progresses at a slower pace, Maudie being a very character-driven movie and it takes its time with the stages of her life and work. There’s one subplot, a personal discovery Maude makes late in the film that provides Hawkins with some great emotional moments, but doesn’t resolve especially satisfactorily, nor does it immediately relate to the films’ main focus. However that may be part of the price paid for realism. Maud’s strained relationship with her family, who never expected nor trusted in her much due to her condition, could’ve used a little more time too, if for nothing else than to get away from Everett’s tiny house a little more.
          Maudie is a wonderful Canadian story about a wonderful Canadian. It’s passion for art is only exceeded by its passion for its title character and her irregular but fascinating life. This is a film that is a great example of what Canadian cinema can be: brilliantly directed and shot, honestly told and performed, and featuring Sally Hawkins in a perfectly stellar outing, carrying the film wonderfully on her feeble arthritic back.