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Séraphine

Play trailer Poster for Séraphine 2009 2h 5m Biography Drama War Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 93 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Soon-to-be-legendary primitivist painter and outsider artist Séraphine "de Senlis" Louis toils as a maidservant in the homes of the bourgeoisie in Senlis, France. For decades, Louis harbors a secret passion for painting in the evenings after work -- one that is discovered serendipitously by renowned German art collector Wilhelm Uhde. Taken by the woman's enormous talent, Uhde becomes determined to bring Louis' art to the world -- and to change her life.

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Séraphine

Séraphine

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Critics Consensus

Seraphine is a well-crafted French film that effectively captures one woman's experience with art, religion, and mental illness, and features a brilliant performance from Yolande Moreau.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Nilsen Arizona Republic 01/29/2010
4/5
What makes this slow, intense film so compelling is its persuasive creation of complex characters: You scarcely believe Moreau is an actor and that the film isn't, on some level, archival footage of the real painter. Go to Full Review Eddie Cockrell Variety 12/17/2009
A naive, between-the-wars French painter is brought to vivid life in the satisfying fact-inspired drama Seraphine. Go to Full Review Andrea Gronvall Chicago Reader 12/17/2009
Provost and cowriter Marc Abdelnour explore the mutable boundaries between spirituality, naivete, genius, and madness, showing how the two outsiders and polar opposites cultivated a mutual understanding. Go to Full Review Kelly Jane Torrance Washington Times 12/06/2018
3.5/4
Although slowly told, Seraphine never drags. Go to Full Review Sarah Manvel Critic's Notebook 08/09/2018
It's great we're learning about Séraphine Louis and that her work is finally being appreciated on its own terms. But as a movie, this doesn't work at all. Go to Full Review Jeffrey Overstreet Filmwell 06/15/2012
A
Provost's film has few equals in depicting the dangerous territory between artistic inspiration and madness. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alain E @AlainE 12/26/2024 A very well made picture about a talented “primitive art” painter in France who had the good fortune to encounter an expatriate German art critic who recognized her potential and helped to improve her life. Unfortunately, mental illness eventually overwhelmed her and she died in obscurity. Ironically, her paintings ended up in some of the most important museums in the world. The movie is very well made. The acting avoids all kind of traps given the subject and appears sincere and understated. Excellent color photography. Another gem on Tubi. See more 08/23/2015 Indubitably it's all Yolande Moreau uplifting the film to the next level. See more 12/10/2014 (Substitled) True story of French housecleaner who, at 41, starts painting. Handles mental illness with tact and compassion. See more 09/09/2013 EBERT: "I've seen many films hoping to understand the nature of great artists; one that comes close is "Vincent: The Life And Death Of Vincent Van Gogh" by Paul Cox. This is another." See more 04/08/2013 The movie is visually stunning. Each shot is a framable work of art. The pace reflects the time and place and her inevitable bad fortune telegraphed just well enough. Actress is superb. See more 02/19/2013 I enjoyed this French film very much. Movie looked beautiful and the acting was excellent, overall the film is a must see. See more Read all reviews
Séraphine

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Cast & Crew

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Martin Provost

Director

Yolande Moreau

Séraphine Louis

Ulrich Tukur

Wilhelm Uhde

Anne Bennent

Anne-Marie Uhde

Geneviève Mnich

Mme Duphot

Nico Rogner

Helmut Kolle

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Séraphine

Séraphine (2008) Séraphine (2008) Séraphine (2008) (L-R) Yolande Moreau as Séraphine and Ulrich Tukur as Wilhelm Uhde in "Séraphine." Yolande Moreau as Séraphine in "Séraphine." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Soon-to-be-legendary primitivist painter and outsider artist Séraphine "de Senlis" Louis toils as a maidservant in the homes of the bourgeoisie in Senlis, France. For decades, Louis harbors a secret passion for painting in the evenings after work -- one that is discovered serendipitously by renowned German art collector Wilhelm Uhde. Taken by the woman's enormous talent, Uhde becomes determined to bring Louis' art to the world -- and to change her life.
Director
Martin Provost
Producer
Miléna Poylo, Gilles Sacuto
Screenwriter
Marc Abdelnour, Martin Provost
Distributor
Music Box Films
Genre
Biography, Drama, War
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 5, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 20, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$883.3K
Runtime
2h 5m