User reviews

It's a long time since I've seen a film as affecting as this (principally because it isn't emotionally manipulative, which I always resent). Instead it just tells a simple tale of simple folk living in simple times, between whom love eventually blossoms against the odds. It's also a sobering reminder of how hard times were in the early 20th century in rural communities, where gossip and malice were endemic, people worked their fingers to the bone and there was no room for sentimentality. That very unsentimental ethos permeates the film, though of course in many cases it tips over into cruelty, and the cruelty Maudie suffers is at times unbearable. Yet for those tempted to walk out, stick with it because her life improves and she evens starts to smile a bit, once the art therapy kicks in. Take a box of Kleenex, expect to feel humbled (and never to complain again about your affluent neuroses). Beyond that, both leads (Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke) are great, and the photography of Newfoundland & Nova Scotia is beautiful, capturing the seascapes and landscapes in the brilliant light.

There is quote by Kurt Vonnegut that comes to mind when I think of Maudie, the latest film based on the real life and times of an artist. "Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something." That may sound like a backhanded compliment but if Maud Lewis was portrayed accurately in the film, I doubt she'll mind. To her painting wasn't a source of ego or pride. It was something she just did - to make herself happy - and if it made others happy all the better.

The film picks up with Maudie, played with understated sensitivity by Sally Hawkins, as she struggles and fails to earn the respect of her family. Despite her severe arthritis, Maudie answers an advert for a live-in maid and runs away. She moves in with and eventually marries the crotchety Everett Lewis (Hawke), a fishmonger who manages to put on a grim smile but once over the film's 40+ year time span. After a time living in Everett's dimly lit squalor, Maudie relights her passion for painting using abandoned cork board and the walls of her new home to paint continuously.

The true-life Maudie was eventually considered Canada's most popular and prolific folk artist; though one could hardly tell given the solitude that follows Maudie throughout her life. In the film, she remains isolated, largely due to her debilitating arthritis and painful shyness around strangers. There's one awkward scene early on where Maud struggles to shuffle out of a doorway and stick her head out long enough to compliment a woman's shoes. In that moment we realize her deep desire to be both accepted and left alone.

The film aptly compliment's the artist's own frailties and unconventionality with a strikingly brittle and unconventional love story. Maud's warmth towards Everett is sincere and unconditional. She sees in him, a beautiful person - an outcast like her who has been made wild by the cruelties of life but nevertheless deserves her love. As open as Maudie is to the inner-beauties of a warm sunset, Everett remains as cold and brutal as a winter storm. Yet every time he "puts a foot down," he wordlessly capitulates. He grumbles and erupts in objectively despicable behavior but Maud always seems to convince him that he's capable of love and being loved.

The film continues down this path of bittersweet co-dependence and as the relationship develops, we see the results of Maud's patience and virtue. Thanks to the remarkably assured cinematography of Guy Godfree, the film crackles with natural beauty and warmth of a cozy hearth. There are some truly breathtaking natural vistas on display here, which despite their expanse manage to feel intimate and idyllic.

As a film Maudie is certainly within the ranks of Mr. Turner (2014), My Left Foot (1989) and Lust for Life (1956). Much like those films, Maudie centers on the life of a tortured artist whose personal story tells something truly meaningful about the human condition. It also has a truly award-worthy performance by Sally Hawkins who is at this point in a class of her own.

What a good film. And most impressive is that it is actually based on a true story (sorry, I haven't done my research before the film, so when the documentary bits came at the end, I was like No way, that was actually for real!). I am not sure it can really be called a "feel good" movie - life wasn't that easy for her. But it will certainly warm your heart with a big and powerful message that we don't really need much to be happy.

Sally Hawkins was absolutely great. With that shy but ready smile and wondering eyes. Although I felt kind of sorry for the way they portrayed her husband. Not sure if he was as brute in real life as they made him. Not that I know, of course, but it felt too much (and he looked smiley enough in the documentary bits). Also, I'd say the editing was not as smooth as it could have been so felt rather amateurish overall, but maybe that was intentional.

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.

For me, this is the reason I go to the movies. Always in the expectation that when I walk out of the theater I simply will not be touching the ground. This does not happen frequently, but with "Maudie" the magic occurred. An amazing story eloquently told. Sally Hawkins is superb, touching and profoundly human. Ethan Hawke is at his best. There is a believable chemistry between these battered beings. When they do take flight, they soar over this crude grandiose landscape so beautifully captured on film.

It's early, but the award community have a sure bet in this unforgettable gem.

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.

"The whole of life, already framed, right there." Maud Lewis (Sally Hawkins)

Maud Lewis was a pioneer of the Art Naïve school of folk painting flourishing all over, especially in Canada, and specifically here in Nova Scotia. The quote shows how natural her genius was looking out a window from her 10x12 foot home.

The biopic Maudie thrives on Hawkins' superior acting talent that superficially shows her deformed leg, her debilitation from arthritis, and her emphysema doomsday from smoking. Yet she radiates joy and a keen eye for the simple beauty of life. As she tells her husband, Everette (Ethan Hawke), she doesn't need much.

With no formal artistic training, Maud initially uses a finger to paint a tulip with vibrant colors. She barely looks back as she paints chickens, dogs, birds, and "things," all observed inside and outside the humble cottage on doors, windows, boards, and whatever.

The pain most artists experience in order to express beauty comes for Maud not just from her physical handicaps but from her husband, a rude fishmonger and wood chopper without a lick of humor. He begrudgingly allows her to sell her paintings and pockets the proceeds. However, he loves her in his own crude way and provides the home, albeit no more than two rooms, that spawns the art.

Cinematographer Guy Godfree captures the sweep of open nature that surrounds the town and the intimately colorful interior transformed by her art. John Hand's production design makes her cottage so meticulously authentic that you might wonder if he borrowed it from the Nova Scotia museum that now houses

it.

Beyond the pleasant bio of a charming painter, the love between the two is one of the best romances of the year. It could be because theirs is hardly conventional or because Hawkins and Hawke are super actors. Or both. Love abides, and as Everett says, "There's me. Them dogs, them chickens, then you."

Based on a true story: In small-town Nova Scotia, Maud Dowley (Sally Hawkins) is a shy young woman handicapped by rheumatoid arthritis and misunderstood by her family. She becomes a live-in housekeeper to Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke), a grouchy fish peddler who lives in a small house outside of town. During her housekeeping, she discovers her enjoyment - and talent - of painting.

While the characters of this film often face difficult times, director Aisling Walsh does a fine job in emphasizing the serenity of rural eastern Canada. (While the film takes place in Nova Scotia, it was filmed in Newfoundland.)

The very unusual domestic arrangement would mean little today but in small-town Canada in the 1930s, it was scandalous. The silent and tense atmosphere of the film conveys this well.

Hawke does a fine job in portraying his conflicted character whose anger sometimes erupts in the form of abuse but who still shows a good and caring side. His character, like others, are not given sufficient background to show how they tick. But there is more than even enough development in the portrayal of the title character - mainly because of the superb work by Hawkins.

Within her physical and social limitations, Hawkins finds the perfect mix. While she is often vulnerable, she can still mutter a few words now and then that show she has a clear sense of self-worth. Her greatest scenes are in the last half when she learns more about her past and also when she gradually becomes frail with age. Hawkins' performance is the highlight of this fine film. - dbamateurcritic.

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!!

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)

This is a quiet, slow film. During an era when time is counted by seconds and illustrated with the clownish stunts of a President seemingly more concerned with ratings than with any fabric of life, with society's shorter and shorter attention span, when movie screens are deluged with computer generated images, million dollar special effects, car chases at maximum speed, and lead characters with superhuman physical powers, Maud Lewis stands in her space occupied by Sally Hawkins, the actress who gracefully captures the heroine's awkwardness and beauty for film, and says, "I am to be counted." This film is to be counted. And I'll pass on films faster than a speeding bullet and choose Hawkins and Ethan Hawke as they steadily tell the story of the real-life painter and her troubled husband, Everett.

The film is much like a painting, using images to portray a life. There are few words and barely one is wasted. The dialogue, like the house in which much of the lives are spent, is spare, using colors, landscapes, objects, and faces to tell a simple, amazing story. Much like the artist, Maud Lewis, did, the filmmaker shows us how he sees her world through the sense of sight: a single, still wooden wheel against a backdrop of a brown and gold wheat field, the wooden houses of reds and blues sitting on the hills of Nova Scotia, next to the sparkling sea, still clouds against a radiant sky, a woman's face suddenly opening with a large smile. The photography is dazzling, stunning, yet soft. With all to see, the ear is not neglected: Michael Timmons, the creative force behind the band The Cowboy Junkies, uses his moody, smokey hues to gently orchestrate the score that is true to the woman at the center of the film, and a few lovely songs dot the soundtrack with emotion, language, and beginnings and ends, stirring the canvass of the lives we are invited to witness and, through adroit performances by the actors, even enter.

'Maudie' is what Maud said of windows: "The whole of life, already framed, right there - " and anybody would be lucky to see how it reveals itself.

7.5/10.

I did enjoy the basic story, a damaged person making something out of her life. To see her stand up and take charge of her life was inspiring. To see her stand up against her brother and aunt, who looked at her as incapable of self direction, was definitely a feel good story.

My issue is the abuse. It just left me sad overall to see her go from one abusive relationship to another to another. From her brother to her aunt to Everett. To see her trapped with nowhere to go and develop Stockholm Syndrome believing she loved Everett despite his heavy abuse overpowered the feel good parts.

Ethan Hawke was terrible, I saw a moment at the end where the real Everett walked into the tiny home and that Ev actually smiled making me believe (hope) that whatever abusive asshole Ethan was trying to portray in his character wasn't the real Everett. I never could tell what his problem was, was he slow or just scared of the world because of his orphan upbringing or what?

Sally Hawkings as better, or portrayed more depth in her character, but you can tell, when her affliction would go from minor distortion of he body to "oh, look, she's all better" or her speech patterns would change shot to shot the difference between her and an top tier actor.

I blame Aisling, putting his money on hiring Ethan when there was nothing in his character to act, and making it about the abuse Maud put up with from the person she spent her life with, well, it changed it from highly recommend to don't bother.

My favourite film so far this year : Sally Hawkins is mesmerising as Maudie and gives a performance,which is truly Academy Award .worthy. Ethan Hawke is equally good as her crusty damaged husband Everett. He describes their relationship as " two odd socks "and they fit perfectly together with quite a few holes. If you get a chance this is a not to be missed movie it's like a Mahler symphony and is quite inspirational. So grateful we have Mt Vic Flix in the mountains if it wasn't for their existence we wouldn't see quality cinema. You don't need a mega budget or Hollywood for that matter to produce a gem of a movie.

Ethan Hawke, and Sally Hawkins, Some of your facial expressions speak volumes! Masterful acting!!!

Excellent location, photography and filming. So many amazing scenes.

Great writing; true-to-life love story.

Superb directing and rhythm. Sweet balance and flow.

Thank you, everyone involved, for a 'perfect' movie!

A movie like this makes up for a lot of other crap out there.

This film tells the story of a woman who had arthritis. Her family thinks little odd her, but she makes a world for herself by becoming a respected and popular artist.

"Maudie" is hard to watch because I find her life very depressing. She is physically, emotionally and financially abused by her husband, which makes me so angry and sad. Yet, she is remarkably resilient and positive. I applaud her for that. It breaks my heart to hear how her mother appraises the situation and comes up with the conclusion that Maud is the happiest person in the family. If that was the case, then that party of the world at that time must have been pretty bleak.

I find the film haunting because emotions linger in me after I finished. It's depressing, and makes me value what I have even more.

Tolerably slow-paced story/script about a life worthy of the telling. While her performance resonated true, the leading-man appearance and over the top performance of Ethan Hawke did not, all to the point of being a distraction. An unknown/unfamiliar actor would have been a more welcome/fitting choice.

I believe what makes this film a delightful experience isn't so much the story but the brilliant performances by Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. As the two main characters Maud & Everett these two actors become the characters they are portraying.

Here is a simple story of two socially inept people that find one another and experience all the joy, anger, heartbreak and peace that goes with love. The setting is both beautiful and bleak - just like Maud & Everett!

Anyone who is incapable of getting emotionally involved with these two and their story as it is being portrayed on screen has an emptiness in their heart.

Greetings again from the darkness. As the saying goes, "opposites attract". It seems the bond between Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis and her reclusive employer/husband Everett Lewis prove this so – at least at first glance. However, digging deeper, as director Aisling Walsh and writer Sherry White do so expertly here, we discover an abundance of subtle similarities and life events that connect these two … showing yet again that real life is often stranger than fiction.

Sally Hawkins delivers her best performance to date (and a slam dunk Oscar nomination awaits) as Maud. She somehow manages to look even smaller on screen and capture the twisted, painful posture and movements of one stricken with severe arthritis. Ethan Hawke is Everett, the local fish peddler who lives like a hermit in his one-and-a-half room shack on the outskirts of town. Our first glimpse of Maude has her sneaking a cigarette on her Aunt's porch while she listens to family members argue about who has to care for her. We first see Everett has he stomps into the general store demanding the shopkeeper write out and post his job opening for domestic help.

Filmed in Canada and Ireland, cinematographer Guy Godfree captures the harshness of the seasons and, more impressively, the claustrophobic and sparse living conditions of Maud and Everett's tiny home (nothing like the HGTV segments). Maud's sweetness and never-ending ability to find joy in the moment contrasts with Everett's cantankerous and even initially cruel approach. These polar opposites are both societal outcasts, but eventually develop respect and yes, even love (though such a word would never be exchanged between the two). Hawkins and Hawke share two especially fabulous scenes – their initial meeting in his house, and a many-years-later emotional exchange on a bench. Hawke's character is a bit challenging for the audience, but Hawkins captures our heart immediately.

Supporting work is minimal, yet effective, as Zachary Bennett plays Maud's brother Charles, Gabrielle Rose is her Aunt Ida, and Kari Matchett is Sandra – the New Yorker with the fancy shoes who first spots Maud's talent. Much of the story focuses on Everett's pride and Maud's joy/spirit, while slowly they both gain a bit of fame thanks to her artistic talent and their living arrangement.

Ms. Hawkins has long been an underrated actress (despite last year's Oscar nomination), and her turn in Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) was proof she could carry the lead. Here, seeing her hoist such a real life character and story on her hunched back is a thing of beauty and is not to be missed. It's an artful movie about an artist and making the best of life. The film's music is perfectly understated and features acoustic guitar, violin and piano. It should be noted that the end of the film features a clip of the real Maud and Everett, and their house has been preserved and displayed at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

A heartwarming, tranquil ode to the simplicity of art and life. Based on the true story, Sally Hawkins is wonderful as Maud Lewis, the housewife turned folk artist who escaped her imprisoned family life to live freely and become a beloved figure in her isolated Canadian community. The film was effective in showing the serene lifestyle of the country but spent too much time delving into her love life when it could have fittingly and effectively expressed Maud's love for art in order for us to fully embrace her character.

At first i want to say that this is my first review and i'm pretty exited to talk about this amazing film.

What i liked most about this film is that it's just as beautifully filmed, acted and told as the paintings Maud painted.

I loved the cinematography in this film. If you're a fan of cinema I'll bet you'll like it.

The acting is also incredible. Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke are amazing in this film. the rest of the cast is really good as well.

This is easily one of the best drama's out there. So i suggest you watch it.

I want to tell you more but it's better to see for yourself.

Thanks for reading this (short) review

It's pretty sad, but it's also cute, deep, and nice.

I don't know if it just came at a bad time for me, but I do not like this movie at all. Every character is unhappy. Hawke's character is unhappy and cruel. Two hours of this is miserable. The images on the screen are literally dark and gray. It's a punishment.

I see that I'm in the minority here. Others love it. But this one is a complete miss for me.