Film - Maudie

Watched on board Air Canada – Nov 2017I’m so glad I saw it as it’s turned out to be one of the films of 2017. The story of Maud Lewis, a Canadian artist I had never come across, despite visiting her home state Nova Scotia just a year ago. The phrase ‘about the unlikely relationship’ comes up pretty frequently to describe films but in this case it’s true. From a tiny town Maud (Sally Hawkins), decides to leave her Aunt’s house where she has been bought up when she sees local elusive fisherman put up a want advert for a house maid. She sees this as chance of independence to move away from the family that had long written her off.Maud has quite crippling arthritis despite having not yet reached middle age. So it has to be live-in as Everett (Ethan Hawke) lives too far away for her to walk daily but this is the 1950s and the house is a barely a two room shack. We are left to wonder how this nonconformist friendship will go down in the small communityInitially, the priorities for Everett are himself, his dog, the chickens and then Maud. All she wants to do is paint. We feel for the misunderstood Maud whose arthritis means she is almost always bent over and has trouble picking up the big soup pot she cooks in for her new employer/house mate. We worry for her safety and well-being living in a small space with this fairly brutish man but eventually Everett starts to appreciate and even respect Maud.And so we get to witness their beautiful bond forming after their first ‘lie together’, before which she insists they get married.Maud’s paintings start to sell, her work gets spotted and the local then national press come calling. We observed the couple’s relationship change as she can charge more than he earns for her paintings – even Nixon bought one – and Everett is seen cooking and caring for her.Maud brings out the best in everyone, despite a difficult life and having no money whereas the rest of her family are fairly comfortable.Sometimes intense, this is a beautiful, heartening film about a wonderful lady and I sense both of the lead actors have done their characters proud.9/10