As true-life stories go, the rags-to-riches tale of Seraphine de Senlis is hard to beat. It's 1914, Senlis, north of Paris, and German art collector Wilhelm Unde (Ulrich Tukur) knows Seraphine Louis merely as the house maid for his new apartment when he notices one of her many 'naive' religious paintings. When he returns years later, after the war, Wilhelm is dazzled by Seraphine's new paintings, and becomes determined to make her rich and famous.
THE VERDICT: Who says they don't make 'em like they used to? The big winner at this year's Cesar awards, Seraphine is a sweeping, old-fashioned biopic charting the life of the renowned early 20th century French painter. Yolande Moreau is wonderful in the title role, and director Martin Provost is to be commended for giving his film the kind of grace and pace that befits such a subject.
RATING:4/5
Review by Paul Byrne