Seraphine (2008)

Based on the life of French painter Séraphine de Senlis.

Director:

Martin Provost

Writers:

Marc Abdelnour, Martin Provost

Stars:

Yolande Moreau, Ulrich Tukur, Anne Bennent

20 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yolande Moreau	...	Séraphine Louis, dite Séraphine de Senlis
Ulrich Tukur	...	Wilhelm Uhde
Anne Bennent	...	Anne-Marie Uhde
Geneviève Mnich	...	Mme Duphot
Adélaïde Leroux	...	Minouche
Nico Rogner	...	Helmut Kolle
Françoise Lebrun	...	La mère supérieure
Hélène Hardouin	...	La propriétaire
Serge Larivière	...	Duval
Léna Breban	...	Soeur Marguerite (as Léna Bréban)
Sandrine Bodenes	...	Marie-Louise (as Sandrine Bodènés)
Muriel Riou	...	Berthe
Dominique Pozzetto	...	Anatole Duphot
Josette Ménard	...	La bouchère
Xavier Pottier	...	Le boucher

Storyline

In 1914, Wilhelm Uhde, a famous German art collector, rents an apartment in the town of Senlis, forty kilometers away from Paris, in order to write and to take a rest from the hectic life he has been living in the capital. The cleaning lady is a rather rough-and-ready forty-year-old woman who is the laughing stock of others. One day, Wilhelm who has been invited by his landlady, notices a small painting lying about in her living room. He is stunned to learn that the artist is no other than Séraphine.

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Plot Keywords:

artist | agent artist relationship | connoisseur | female painter | maid | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 117074 delivered on 27-7-2008.

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Goofs

Wilhelm Uhde is portrayed as having a goatee beard throughout the course of the film. Portraits of him show generally a clean-shaven man or one with the small moustache.

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Crazy Credits

The credits list the names of the paintings which are seen in the film - 10 paintings by Séraphine and the artworks owned by Uhde and Kolle.

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Soundtracks

Consonent laudes!
Written by Louis Rousseau
Performed by Yolande Moreau, Françoise Lebrun and Léna Breban

User Reviews

Portrait Of An Outsider

Seraphine Louis,who would eventually change her name to Seraphine deSenlis (after the name of her hometown)was an artist who cleaned houses by day,and painted by night (all the time while singing the hymns of her staunch Catholic upbringing,while she was growing up an orphan by Nuns). Seraphine is pretty much maligned by the village locals,taunted by children,and pretty much avoided by most all that know her. When German art collector & critic,Wilhelm Uhde rents a room in the town of Senlis,while on the run from the insanity of World War I,and discovers a painting by Seraphine & is amazed by it's use of colour & texture. When the war moves ever closer,Uhde & his sister escapes the madness. Years later,he returns to Senlis,rediscovers an aged,but still painting Seraphine & vows to put her work on display (despite the fallout of the Wall Street crash of 1929,as well as the subsequent great depression,that managed to cripple a good percentage of Europe's economy,as well). Martin Provost directs & co writes (with Marc Abdelnoir)a lovingly depicted portrait of a woman possessed of genius that is cruelly stolen too early (deSenlis spent her aged years in an insane asylum & never painted again in life). Yolande Moreau plays Seraphine,a woman unpossesed by pretentious,real fine. Ulrich Tukur plays Wilhelm Uhde,in a winning role that depicts Uhde as an impresario of art first,and who's personal life is down played,somewhat (in life,Uhde was an ardent homosexual that made no bones about his gay lifestyle). The photography is a real treat for the eye (at times,the composition of visual images are very painterly,such as films such as 'Tous Le Matin Du Monde'). A film to check out for those with a love of art,or art history (or both). Spoken in French & German with English subtitles. Not rated by the MPAA,this film contains flashes of nudity & adult content.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

France Belgium

Language:

French German Latin

Release Date:

1 October 2008 (France)

Also Known As:

Seraphine

Filming Locations:

Cathédrale, Senlis, Oise, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$38,637, 7 June 2009

Gross USA:

$884,613

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,402,702

Company Credits

Production Co:

TS Productions, France 3 Cinéma, Climax Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min 121 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1