Walking out of “Maudie” I felt the same way I did after seeing “Monster” when I said that IF Charlize Theron didn’t win an Oscar for her transformation, and acting, then I would never go to the movies again. Whew! She did. I am saying almost the same thing about Sally Hawkins playing the title role in this film. Her transformation into Maud, and her acting, draws you into the film to such a point that you forget she is Sally Hawkins, the actress.

“Maudie” is a love story between two people who not only are different from everyone else but completely different from each other. I wasn’t aware the screenplay, by Sherry White, was based on a true story until the end and it made me wonder how true it really is. About 30-35 minutes into the film I gasped and really didn’t believe what I had just seen but that was only part of the story. There are sweet, funny, sad and cruel moments along the way. Neither Maud nor Everett, played by Ethan Hawke, had an early easy life and when we meet them they are still struggling in the world they inhabit.

The film is 1 hour and 55 minutes, with Newfoundland and Labrador filling in for Nova Scotia, is, necessarily, slow moving but still could have been cut by about 10 minutes.

The film basically concentrates of the story of Maud and Everett with minor characters such as Gabrielle Rose as Maud’s aunt and Zachery Bennett as her brother along with Kari Matchett as a vacationing New Yorker and Billy MacLellan as possibly the only friend Everett might have. Though Hawke does a fairly good job he does not quite reach Hawkins’ level.

“Maudie” in many ways is not an easy film to sit through but should be seen for Hawkins performance, and possibly, learn about an artist you didn’t know about. I hope I am wrong but I don’t think this movie will ‘sell’ to the public.

Movie trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCZ_guQTGNw