Award-winning actress, Glenn Close, reprises her title stage role from 20 years previous in Albert Nobbs by director Rodrigo Garcia (Nine Lives). The film follows Albert, a woman living and working as a man in 19th century Ireland. When a chance encounter leads her to reveal her gender to another, she begins having aspirations that she never thought possible.
The film has been nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Glenn Close; Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Janet McTeer; and Best Achievement in Makeup, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson and Matthew W. Mungle.
What I liked about the film was that it was never about Albert living a lie, rather it was about how she adapted to her situation in order to survive. Quiet and poised, Albert became an excellent butler and is well-liked by many people around her, all-the-while saving up money to own a business. She is not pretending to be Albert, she is Albert. Unlike Meryl Streep’s performance in The Iron Lady (review here), Glenn Close plays Albert Nobbs completely understated and reserved. What I liked about the character and the performance is that Albert becomes open to new possibilities rather than simply wanted to start living as a woman. She just wants to have a better life.
The subplot involving Helen (Mia Wasikowska, Jane Eyre) and Joe (Aaron Johnson, Kick-Ass) I found to be a very interesting look at an all-to-familiar situation of young love. Their relationship follows a path that is often alluded to, but is rarely given such a detailed account from both sides. Each bring a childlike innocence to their all-to-adult situation. Both the young actors have been taking on fantastic roles and will no doubt continue on the path to bright futures.
While I completely respect the story, I was hoping to learn more about Albert. She is so reserved that I think some flashbacks would have been very beneficial to telling her story. She would not be the type of person to keep a journal, but perhaps certain situations would trigger her memory of past experiences. I wanted to know more about her.
The supporting cast includes Brendan Gleeson (The Guard, review here) as the delightful and charming as Dr Holloran; Mark Willams (Harry Potter), Brenda Fricker (Home Alone 2: Lost In New York) and Pauline Collins (You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger). Young Irish actress Antonia Campbell-Hughes (Lotus Eaters review here) is sweet and supportive as Helen’s friend, Emmy.
Overall, the film was not cohesive and did not have a clear voice. It felt as though it was an ensemble of characters that were thrown together and then the story was an afterthought on how to put them together. It had a short run in December in New York to qualify for the Oscars and comes out today for a limited release.
Rating: Lacks clear vision but makes for good conversation. 5/10
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