Directed by Martin Provost, Seraphine is a beautiful portrait of an unhappy artist swathed in talent and then, sadly, in madness.
The film introduces Seraphine (Yolande Moreau) as an eccentric cleaning lady in a town outside Paris. A social outcast, she spends the day mopping floors, then devotes the night-time to obsessively painting still life.
Her unusual talent is recognised by Wilhelm Uhde (Ulrich Tukur), the German art collector and critic who discovered Picasso. He becomes Seraphine's patron, but her career is cut short by mental illness, which confines her to an asylum until her death.
The movie is noteworthy for Moreau's marvellous, subtle performance. Playing a mad genius is risky business for many actors, who tend to overact. But Moreau is blessed with the talent of reflecting her character's mental state through her physical bearing. Her plain face has a divine glow when her character is immersed in her art. Seraphine painting feverishly as the war rages around her speaks of the transcendent power of art.
Uhde's sporadic loyalty to Seraphine eventually leads to her madness, and Tukur plays his role to perfection, adding depth to a character whose self-centredness is masked by charm and an enthusiasm for art.