Albert Nobbs (2011) User Reviews (119)

Give Close the Oscar!

[Rockwell_Cronenberg · 7/10 · 23 November 2011]

At first glance, Albert Nobbs could seem to be another dry and stuffy period piece that would follow in the tradition and be mostly about the acting. However once you delve into it, the film ends up being a surprisingly dense character drama focused around one troubled, courageous woman whose loneliness gets the better of her years of living in secrecy. The titular waiter is a delicate, frail woman masquerading as a man and actress Glenn Close delves into the role with such complete detail that she truly does disappear.

I'm always skeptical of performances that are claimed to be "fully unrecognizable" and at first I must admit that it just felt like Close playing a man, but as the film continued I slowly lost sight of my cynicism and when a later scene portrays Nobbs wearing a dress for the first time I was blown away at the fact that I was seeing this woman be a real woman for the first time. I was amazed at how absorbed Close was in the role, I genuinely forgot all about this woman playing a character and just believed the character's facade, as well as Close's. Close has gotten attention for the role as a potential Oscar vehicle and some have lashed back against that due to the performance being quite restrained, but I admire her delicacy in taking on the role. This is a woman who spent her entire life trying to blend in and be unseen, and Close's ability to be this fly on the wall creature is remarkable.

I was glad that there weren't any hysterics on her part and when the few scenes came where, in isolation, she broke down I was devastated by this woman fearing for her life to unravel. It's such a delicate and entirely human performance, and as far as I'm concerned one of the best of Close's very strong career. The central narrative revolves around Nobbs' desire to woo a young maid named Helen (played with an Irish tilt by the up-and-coming Australian Mia Wasikowska, again shining) to leave their life of servitude and open up a tobacco shop together. Throughout the film I was bothered by this belief that Nobbs was supposed to be in love with Helen and that's why she wanted to open the shop with her, but as the film reached it's final conclusion I came to the realization that it had nothing to do with love.

Throughout her life Nobbs had put in all of her effort to having no one notice her that when she's introduced to a similar woman masquerading as a man (played by the strong and unbelievably convincing Janet McTeer) who has a happy life married to a woman, Nobbs realizes the potential that maybe she doesn't have to live her life alone. It's not about loving Helen at all, it's just about not wanting to be alone anymore and once that became apparent to me the film became quite devastating. Nobbs trapped herself in this prison and Close plays it with such restrained heartache that it truly hit a level with me. Even in writing this I am realizing that the film had a much stronger impact on me than I had previously thought. This is a devastating story of a woman trapped in circumstances of her own making, portrayed with such genuine believability by Close that I forgot I was watching an actress pretend to be a man but instead just saw Nobbs.

There's a line where McTeer's character asks Nobbs what her name is and she responds, "Albert". Then McTeer repeats the question, clearly asking for her birthname instead of the one she is hiding behind and Nobbs again responds, "Albert". At the time I rolled my eyes at the exchange, but now that the whole film has settled with me it speaks so much to this trapped, wounded soul who was so lost in herself that she couldn't escape her own prison, let alone the one that she had built for Nobbs. I found Albert Nobbs to be quite the moving, hushed character piece led by a wrenching performance by Close and backed up by several other strong performances from McTeer, Wasikowska and a grimy Aaron Johnson.

Janet McTeer is ... transcendent

[JulieKelleher57 · 8/10 · 25 November 2011]

Janet McTeer is absolutely transcendent in ALBERT NOBBS.

The waves of emotion which she wraps into Hubert Page are a wonder to behold. Her performance is not one of those 'knock me over with a feather' performances; it's more like a performance that settles in the bottom of your heart and stays there well after the movie ends. It keeps you up at night, and tugs at you for days afterward.

The story itself is more layered than it appears to be. Glenn Close has brought to the screen a very private yet very emotional character. Such a character is difficult to portray -- and the 'talking to one's self scenes' were a bit annoying, as all such scenes are.

In the end, however, this is a movie well worth your time.

A Towering Close

[billcr12 · 7/10 · 17 February 2012]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times(apologies to Dickens) in this Irish drama of the affluent and the working class at the turn of he century. Glenn Close is a towering figure throughout as Albert Nobbs, a butler at an upscale hotel in Dublin. Close and Mia Wasikowska are both magnificent in this saga of gender identity. Nobbs is dressed as a man in order to work and survive in a world better suited to being a male and she is searching for who and what she should be. Her dream of opening a shop with a woman she has fallen in love with, well played by Wasikowska is deeply affecting.

Janet McTeer and Brendan Gleeson round out a perfect ensemble cast as they are two of the best actors working today. Gleeson brings some comic relief as the resident doctor and McTeer gives a sympathetic ear and emotional support to Close.

Sinead O'Connor sings the final song as the credits roll. The story is a sad one but due to the great cast it is a movie worth watching.

Fascinating lead performances outshine a not as compelling story

[chaz-28 · 6/10 · 31 January 2012]

When men dress up as women in the movies, it is almost always in a comedy or farce; think Some Like It Hot (1959), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and Tootsie (1982). However, when the situation is reversed and the film concerns women dressing up as men, the movie is habitually a drama bordering on tragedy: Yentl (1983), Boys Don't Cry (1999), and Osama (2003). Perhaps men trying to pass themselves off as women are just funnier and more outlandish, but the reasons behind it are usually not as urgent. In Albert Nobbs, Albert (Glenn Close) is the head waiter at an upscale hotel in 19th century Ireland. He appears to be middle-aged and has been passing himself off as a man since he/she was 14. His livelihood and future in the midst of immense unemployment and desperate surroundings depend on maintaining this deception.

I use the pronouns 'he' and 'his' because nothing about Albert is female except for the some well hidden physiology. Albert is extremely adept at passing as a man. When he speaks at all, his voice is low. His hair is short, he is impeccably dressed, his manners are irreproachable, and he does nothing whatsoever to call any attention to himself. As any man-servant should be, he is invisible. Working in the hospitality industry is just a means to end for Albert though. He lives such a spartan lifestyle because he hoards his money underneath his floorboard to one day soon purchase a shop and become a respected tobacconist. He is close; he has identified the vacant shop, has planned its layout, and can almost feel the escape which will come when he is his own boss.

Albert knows something is missing in his grand scheme though; he is lonely. In the beginning, he does not recognize he is missing anything important until he is forced to share his room one night with a man, Mr. Hubert Page (Janet McTeer). Through a contrived sequence, Albert is revealed as a female to Mr. Page and only later on learns Mr. Page is also a woman. Using what look like camera tricks and perspective shots, Mr. Page is a towering and bulky workman. He is also married to a woman. This bit of news tremendously confuses poor Albert. How is it possible for two women to be married to one another? It is obvious that Mr. Page and his wife are in a lesbian relationship; however, Albert would not even know what that word means. Albert comes across as asexual. There has never been a chance in his life to conceive of intimacy so all feelings and aspects of that persona just atrophied away.

Now that Albert's eyes are opened to the fact that there are women out in the world who are married to each other, he sets his eyes on the lowly but young and desirable chambermaid Helen (Mia Wasikowska). Helen knows just how pretty she is and becomes smitten by the newly employed handyman Joe (Aaron Johnson). Not only is Albert stunted in the intimacy realm of life, but his social skills are also not as fine tuned as the younger set who now aware of Albert's infatuation with Helen, may try to use those feelings for their financial gain.

While the story of Albert Nobbs is on the weaker side and not particularly engaging, the acting, specifically by Close and McTeer, is fascinating. There is a scene where Albert and Mr. Page try on some dresses and take a walk outside. For Albert, this is the first time he has worn a dress in probably 30 years. The immediate discomfort but growing acceptance and then utter joy on his face is a wonderful scene as he experiences some long repressed feelings while ecstatically running on the beach. McTeer's performance is equal to Close's in every way. She/he looks 100% like a man dressed up as a woman when he puts on that dress. The makeup department for this film is spot on, much better than J. Edgar and The Iron Lady. Even though they did not have to age the characters as those aforementioned films did, transforming two women into men so effectively as they do is worth the price of admission alone.

Director Rodrigo Garcia, who happens to be the son of novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is becoming known as the go-to filmmaker for involved and complex stories about women. He also directed Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000), Nine Lives (2005), and Mother and Child (2010), all recognized as thoughtful films with strong female leads. Glenn Close co-wrote the screenplay and brought with her a long experience of understanding Albert since she played him in the 1982 stage production.

I recommend Albert Nobbs to enjoy the performances and to witness the forceful presences of Glenn Close and Janet McTeer and their convincing portrayals of the opposite sex. The story is not as compelling as one would wish for a period piece such as this, but it is nevertheless overshadowed by the acting.

women's relationships

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 29 January 2012]

The three movies that I've seen that Rodrigo García (son of Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez) directed deal with women's relationships: "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her", "Mother and Child" and now "Albert Nobbs". In the latter, Glenn Close plays a woman posing as a man in 19th century Dublin and working as a butler in a posh hotel. When the hotel owner hires a painter named Hubert Page (Janet McTeer), Albert soon finds out Hubert's secret. From there, relationships with other staff members proliferate.

The movie brings up several issues. Aside from Ireland's status as a British colony in the 19th century, there's the social hierarchy in the hotel, and the forbidden relationships. Albert's posing as a man is partially because of some haunting experiences, but also because women didn't have as many opportunities open to them back then. As a result of his hiding in this male persona, Albert has been hiding from himself, one might say.

All in all, I thought that this is a very well done movie. Close looks eerily gaunt in the role, easily passing as a man, while Mia Wasikowska, playing a maid, has the perfection balance of strength and fragility. I recommend the movie. Also starring Aaron Johnson (John Lennon in "Nowhere Boy"), Pauline Collins, Brendan Gleeson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maria Doyle Kennedy.

S/he won't go away.

[JohnDeSando · 23 January 2012]

"You don't have to be anything but what you are." Hupert Page (Janet McTeer)

Albert Nobbs is a curious story, perhaps not like anything else you've seen. If you wait until the end, you may love hearing Sinead O'Connor sing "Lay Down Your Head." But in between beginning and end is a performance by Glenn Close as a gender-bending butler in 1890's Dublin to confound critics who use Meryl Streep as their litmus test.

Where Streep infuses her characters with at least a few eccentric affectations, Close's Albert is a fascinating cipher of a woman playing a man so tied up like her corset that she rarely changes expression; her immobile face resembles a plastic-surgery job wound like her too tight, afraid to laugh or cry for fear of pulling her skin down from its moorings behind the ear. The stoicism is, however, not without its oddball charm, as you are unlikely to meet such an introvert, who is rivaled only by Melville's classic Bartleby.

Albert decides to woo young Helen (Mia Wasikowska) to marry him and settle into a tobacco shop, even though he has not told her he is a woman. Albert is helped by another disguised female, Hubert, played Oscar-worthy by Janet McTeer. Although Close, a producer and co-writer, doesn't reveal much about Albert's background and the reason for remaining in disguise other than the difficulty of single women surviving in late nineteenth-century Dublin, McTeer's Hubert satisfies us with background information and a current marriage inspiring Albert to pursue Helen.

The short story and the 1982 play, for which Close as Albert won an Obie, might be warmer and more accessible. Although the film has much of John Huston's The Dead in its set design, Huston's and James Joyce's character development and disclosure are leagues ahead of this minimalist script and sets.

As annoying as Albert is in his privacy, Close's Chaplinesque costuming and minimalist performance won't go away. Watch out, Meryl.

interesting acting exercise

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 31 December 2014]

In 19th century Dublin, Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) is a woman living as a man in order to work as a hotel waiter. She is a very particular man who has been saving to buy a tobacco shop. She gets found out when the owner Mrs. Baker (Pauline Collins) hires painter Hubert Page (Janet McTeer) and puts him in her room. Then Hubert reveals that he is also a woman. Unemployed Joe Mackins (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) lies his way into the hotel to get the job of repairing the boiler. Joe is soon sleeping with the maid Helen Dawes (Mia Wasikowska). Albert starts courting Helen but Joe convinces Helen to steal the money for passage to America.

It's somewhat fascinating to see the cross-dress acting but the story is really slow. The mannerisms are so odd that it is offputting. Also we know who Glenn Close is and some even Janet McTeer. There is something missing when we know that they are OBVIOUSLY women although nobody is suppose to know. There is a good sense of danger from discovery. However it needs to do much more. None of the characters are sympathetic. Nobbs is delusional. Joe is an obvious creep. Helen is just as much of a schemer or really dumb. I don't think I care for any of the characters.

McTeer sizzles while Close fizzles in this lavishly boring period piece

[DonFishies · 6/10 · 28 September 2011]

Going into Albert Nobbs at the Toronto International Film Festival, I think my anticipation for Glenn Close's performance was high. There was a lot of early Oscar buzz going for the film, and it was the key reason I ventured into the packed final screening of the film. And now, almost two weeks later, I still feel a lot of regret for giving into the hype.

Albert Nobbs (Close) leads a simple life as a butler at a fancy hotel in turn of the century Dublin. But he is hiding a secret: he is actually a she, staying low-key while she raises enough money to start a tobacco shop. With the appearance of Hubert Page (Janet McTeer), a painter who hides a similar secret, Nobbs realizes she needs to come out of her shell a bit more and start planning her future.

I desperately wanted to adore Albert Nobbs, but after the initial play-like introduction to all of the main players (in one scene no less), I found myself horrifically bored from start to finish. Remember the stuffy British period pieces you loathe the very existence of, and were hoping were completely extinct? I am sorry to report they are alive and well. The film moves at a snail's pace, going through Nobb's attempt at prepping to move on and stop hiding. It goes through a few incredibly odd subplots, one namely involving a pretty house maid named Helen (Mia Wasikowska), but feels badly cobbled together. It is based on a critically acclaimed play that Close had previously starred in and feels like it is stuck within the confines of that pace and structure. I realize they wanted to stay true to the original source material, but I am confident in saying that we have seen enough films based on musicals and plays to know that it is not hard to think outside the box and make something a bit different and more inclined to the medium.

For all the early Oscar talk, it disappoints me to say that Close's performance is good but nothing truly extraordinary. She is incredibly convincing as the titular character, looking nearly unrecognizable for a good portion of the film. She plays Nobbs as a timid introvert, who has an underlying fear that plagues her every move. She does want her true identity to be revealed, and must constantly downplay everything. It may seem like an incredibly layered role, but outside of some atypical glances, there is really nothing special about Close. Her character wants to hide in plain sight, and not do anything to draw attention to herself. But this affects Close's performance immensely, because it never gives her the opportunity to make something of this character. Mere glances and passing references to something truly brilliant are apparent, but I found myself really struggling to care about the character. Much like the film, paying attention to Nobbs bordered on excruciatingly boring.

McTeer as Page however, the other woman playing a man in this grand play, is the exact opposite. I had heard very little about her before the film, but found myself unable to look away when she entered the frame. She has a sassy wit about her, and truly enlivens the characters and every second-rate line that comes out of her mouth. She is the catalyst for change in Nobb's life, but she too is doing her best not to draw attention to herself. Yet somehow, she does not slog through the performance like Close does. She truly makes something of the character, and carves out something interesting and fun to watch develop. It is not surprising at all surprising to find that she provides the most emotional scenes in the movie, b both downright hilarious and incredibly sad. I just wish there was more focus on her character, as she only appears in a handful of scenes. Fortunately they are the best scenes in the entire film, but they come way too far and few between.

Wasikowska and Aaron Johnson are the only other two actors who do not spend their screen time eliciting minor laughs from the crowd (although Pauline Collins is an underplayed delight as Mrs. Baker, the head of the hotel where most of the action takes place). While they have both given significantly better performances in other films, they both deliver some fairly solid work here. They have to chisel through some absolutely obnoxious and dull character motivations and actions, but they still shine through in most cases. I appreciated their work here more than I actually enjoyed it, but I think it could have been improved if they were not stuck working within the confines of the script.

Story and acting issues aside, the art direction is simply marvelous. The look of Dublin is so rich and vivid that you can practically smell the putrid stench coming off of these streets. A lot of care was put into making these sets and costumes look as detailed as physically possible, and it shows in how great they look. I sat in awe in more than one occasion, ignoring the inane dialogue and just taking in the scenery.

While I think the laughs that made The King's Speech such a crowd-pleasing delight last year may have had a bit of an influence on at least a portion of Albert Nobbs, I really wish they took more of a directional cue from the Best Picture winner. As it is, Nobbs is the kind of stuffy, pretentious period piece that most filmgoers love to hate. It is incredibly boring, with a lot of useless side performances and only a few good performances that still manage to be dull. The only real saving grace here is a wildly enjoyable supporting turn from McTeer, who will surely not see that enthusiasm go to waste when the awards time arrives. Maybe I should not have expected so much.

6/10.

Tortured soul

[moviemanMA · 9/10 · 15 January 2012]

Albert Nobbs is a labor of love. Glenn Close, who stars in the titular role, has been connected with this material for nearly 20 years, playing the same role on stage in 1982. For years she tried to get the production to the big screen, and after a long wait her efforts have put forth a brilliant film. Directed by Rodrigo Garcia (In Treatment), this film tells the story of Albert, an Irish waiter at a hotel. The trouble is she has been portraying herself as a man for 30 years. She has become encased in her mindset of Albert Nobbs that she doesn't know her true self anymore. She must do whatever it takes to get by, even if it means keeping her secret to the grave.

She befriends a local painter, Hubert Page (Janet McTeer), only Hubert isn't all that he says he is either. With Hubert's friendship, Albert sees that what he needs is a wife. He attempts to court another maid at the hotel, Helen (by Mia Wasikowska), only she has taken a shine to Joe (Aaron Johnson), the new handyman. It's sometimes painful to see the lengths that Albert goes to for Helen, but Albert it so pure in his thinking and kind of heart that we want him to get the girl no matter what.

What makes Albert Nobbs so special is Close's performance. Close truly fits the part. There is something in her eyes that makes you really believe that the woman in Albert is only what he keeps hidden under his clothes. All the rest is a man. Close makes us believe that Albert sees himself as a man only just a little different. We see a fragile man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means sucking up to the harsh and vulgar members of high society.

The supporting cast around Close is fantastic as well. McTeer really shines as Albert's only true friend. I would look for both Close and McTeer to be in contention come this Oscar night. Wasikowska and Johnson look great for their respective parts, playing them with honesty. Another accent to the cast is Brendan Gleeson as the local doctor. He adds a touch of sensibility to the entitled of the day. He likes a good, stiff drink (or three) and finds himself comfortable in the company of those considered lower than him.

Gleeson's character brings up a great quality to the film. I am astonished at how much of a commentary of 19th century life is put into the film. I would say most of the first act is setting up the world they live in and periodic references and characters enter the second and third acts to remind us of the time period this story is taking place. Albert Nobbs is in fact a reflection of what it was like to live back then. In order to make a decent living one had to be a man, otherwise find someone to live off of.

It's a heartbreaking story that will really hit home. Albert on the surface is a simple man, but underneath lies a wealth of feeling, confusion, and love. The film ends with the beautiful song "Lay Your Head Down" with lyrics by Close herself, music by Brian Byrne, and sung by Sinead O'Connor. It reminded me of "Into the West" by Annie Lennox, the Oscar winning song from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. This song from Albert is somber, sweet, and plays like a lullaby. I think it's safe to say that is exactly what it is; a lullaby for Albert, a character whose life has been so strenuous and tiresome.

The more I think about it the more I love this film. Great performances, great characters, and a perfect time period to be placed in. The song is the icing on the cake (and probably has the best shot at winning come Oscar night). It looks like Meryl Streep is all but a lock for Best Actress, but we shall see what happens. Who knows, maybe Albert will gain momentum coming down the homestretch. I hope it does.

A Nutshell Review: Albert Nobbs

[DICK STEEL · 7/10 · 22 February 2012]

Oscar buzz means Albert Nobbs gets a closer look with its leading lady Glenn Close in the title role, and Janet McTeer getting herself nominated for a supporting actress award as well. And interesting enough, both play gender bender roles in a film set in the posh hotel in period Ireland, with an introduction that starkly laid out the social class divide of the time, and the norms and expectations that exist between the haves, and the have nots. Directed by Rodrigo Garcia (whose last film was Mother and Child), Albert Nobbs boasts a stellar cast including the likes of Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson and even Jonathan Rhys Meyers in a very bit role of an aristocrat, and it is their fine performance all round that lifted the narrative that is steeped on the notion of secrets.

This film will definitely appeal to the niche LGBT crowd, given the subject matter where Albert Nobbs is Albert only to allow a woman, brutally violated in the past, to come out into society and earn an independent living all by herself. She cannot be who she is, and has to be someone whom she is not, but even then comes struggles of finding attractiveness in someone of the same gender, that of a fellow colleague cum chambermaid Helen (Mia Wasikowska) whose flirty nature finds the attention not of a rich man to whisk her off her feet and into a palace of riches, but by Aaron Johnson's Joe the handyman who knocks her up and complicates her employment status in the later act.

The narrative by Istvan Szabo's story is based upon George Moore's short story and adapted into a screenplay with Glenn Close's involvement, and is a story that's deeply weaved around the different relationships amongst the characters. There's the friendship forged between Albert and McTeer's painter character Hubert Page, who got engaged by the hotel for a job and had to put up together with Albert in his room, and for deeply buried secrets to be revealed, one which in a way inspires Albert to be less inhibited when inadvertently seeking out someone with whom he can possibly spend the rest of his life with given his inching toward his goal to become a shopkeeper.

Which brings us to the core love triangle of the story involving Albert's love for Helen, who in turn is in a relationship with the roguish Joe. This provides some form of a contrast between the usual heterosexual romance between Joe and Helen, and that of the same sex one between Albert and Helen, though I would have thought the latter came across more like a sisterly bond being created especially since beneath Helen's tough, happy go lucky exterior comes a certain vulnerability that can be exploited. Albert, being Albert for so long, assumes the very protective role of a guardian of sorts, and with Helen we see shades of inhibitions being stripped away as he discovers some inner happiness which had eluded him for some time.

Glenn Close may be getting a lot of accolades for her performance, and it's true she disappears into her role straddling between that of a woman and a man whom she spends a lot more time under the guise, complete with deep voice, but I thought this naturalness was somewhat a given since Close had been playing this role on stage years before. Mia Wasikowska continues in her hot streak playing diverse roles in her career so far, although I felt this one was probably the least challenging of the lot. But the one who stole the show was Janet McTeer's gruff portrayal of Hubert, stealing the show from under everyone's nose even with her limited screen time, and will probably put up quite the fight come awards season.

Besides fine acting, Albert Nobbs also has excellent production values that every self- respecting period film will focus on having in order to recreate and bring to life the littlest of details to transport any audience back to the late 19th century. You may have to suspend disbelief if you suppose the two ladies in men's disguise should have easily been found out, but like how the characters keep things under wraps, it's exploration of various relationships that is the film's kept under very poignant drama.

Seriously?

[theshutterexperiment · 2/10 · 7 March 2015]

First, I watched this on Netflix and their description was not accurate: "A woman disguised as a man and working in a posh 19th century hotel reconsiders her charade when a handsome painter arrives on the scene." So I'm thinking funny love story with some tense drama and a happy ending. I did not laugh, smile, frown or feel any emotion at all while watching this. I cry over roadkill so if a movie can't evoke an emotional response from me, even when a sympathetic main character dies, there is a problem. This movie was as flat as Glenn Close's over injected face.

I kept waiting for this movie to make some kind of sense. When Albert was telling Hubert her story, I figured it out. This film is not for entertainment, it is a sermon. As a movie watcher and societal participant, I am sick to death of being nudged into this "men are responsible for all of the evils in the world" view, which over the past half century, seems to have infiltrated our society.

Almost every single male character in this production (even those not on screen) is a physically abusive, alcoholic womanizer. Was there not one man on Earth in the 19th century that wasn't a substance abusing, psychotic rapist? Even the good doctor couldn't keep his face out of the bottle and his hands off the poor maid. Hollywood, if you're listening, I think we've covered this. Let's move on please unless of course your goal is to create a whole generation of self loathing men who feel guilty about being alive.

Perhaps I could have tolerated the obvious man hating if the story made sense and didn't leave me worrying about the welfare of Mia Wasikowska's character. Creepy isn't a creepy enough word to describe the ending.

Here's a more accurate description. If anyone working at Netflix is reading this, feel free to use it. "An abused woman disguised as a man working in a posh 19th century hotel meets another abused woman disguised as a man who is married to a woman, decides to get married herself by deceiving another abused but much younger pregnant woman into marriage in order to staff a fictional tobacco shop."

Beautiful film

[jqapac · 10/10 · 7 October 2011]

I saw this film at the Mill Valley Film Festival Opening last night and I thought it was an amazing piece. Luckily I didn't have an preconceived notions about the film. I hadn't heard anything about it which for me is always the best way to go into a film. I always set high standards for any film that Glen Close is a part of and she definitely met that expectation and then some.

Visually, Albert Nobbs had a fairy tale feel to it. I would say it was an atypical film without political agenda. A simple but highly intelligent story full of life and character detail. I would like to see this again. I have a feeling that in a second screening I would see so many new things that are so subtle in the first viewing.

Glen Close transformed completely. It was dazzling to watch. I was captivated by her face and her mannerisms. I would highly recommend this film to friends. A must see!

She Could Never Be Your Woman

[Chris_Pandolfi · 6/10 · 21 December 2011]

"Albert Nobbs," adapted from George Moore's short story "The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs," was clearly intended to explore themes of identity – or, more precisely, how identity is starkly divided between who we are within and what we show to the world. It's a compelling idea, and yet this movie is missing something. It never quite comes together. It introduces us to a number of interesting characters who are either underdeveloped, underutilized, or in some cases, unconvincing. It tells a story founded on deceptions that are plausible but highly unlikely, making it much harder to invest in. And then there's the ending, which disappoints on both technical and emotional levels. Does that make it realistic? Perhaps, but it doesn't make it satisfying, or even appropriate. Taking place in late nineteenth-century Ireland, the film tells the story of Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) a woman who has been living as a man ever since being raped by a random gang of men some thirty years earlier. She doesn't know her own past, having been raised in an orphanage in England. She doesn't even know what her birth name is. But as after trimming her hair short, donning men's clothing, and taking a job as a waiter, she has built herself a respectable reputation. She's currently the head waiter at a hotel in Dublin, where both the staff and the clientele have secrets of their own. One guest (a cameo by Jonathan Rhys Meyers), usually seen in the company of young women, awakens one morning next to a naked man. During a costume ball, the resident doctor (Brendan Gleeson) drunkenly approaches Albert and asks why he isn't in fancy dress. "I'm a waiter," she replies simply. "And I'm a doctor," he says lifting his stethoscope. "We're both disguised as ourselves." To deal with this upfront, Albert does not make a very convincing man. It's not so much in her physical appearance, although not even a short haircut can gloss over her noticeably slight physical features. It's more in her voice, which is too high even after dropping it an octave. Perhaps the issue is that I'm too familiar with Glenn Close. She's indisputably one of our best living actors, but the simple fact is, she isn't built like a man. It takes more than binding your breasts to convincingly look like the opposite sex. I would wager they knew that even in the late nineteenth century. Briefly hired to repaint one of the rooms is Hubert Page (Janet McTeer), who, as it turns out, is also a male impersonator. She too has her reasons for this charade, and she too isn't very good at pulling it off. The important thing is, she has since gotten "married" to a real biological woman. This fascinates Albert, although not for the reasons you might think. You see, she has been secretly hoarding her stash of tips with the hopes of someday opening a tobacco shop. She has already scouted a location. Now all that's missing is someone to serve the customers – preferably a wife. She has her sights set on Helen Dawes (Mia Wasikowska). The trouble is, she's already involved with a young man named Joe (Aaron Johnson), who has recently been hired to fix the boiler. Theirs is an emotional ordeal deserving of its own movie. Joe, who came from nothing, doesn't realize just how much he is like his drunkard of a father, who he hates. He's so desperate to go to America that it he has blinded himself to what really matters, including common decency. Helen shares in some of this; she too came from nothing and now feels entitled. Recognizing Albert's interest in Helen, Joe sees an opportunity to gain the upper hand. He'll have Helen escort Albert on cordial walks around the city. Indeed, Albert is trying to court Helen, indulging her with quality chocolates, bottles of fine alcohol, and designer hats. The elephant in the room is the issue of homosexuality. There's no doubt in my mind that Hubert is a lesbian. But with Albert, it's not so clear cut. We hear her professing her love for Helen, and yet we also see her fantasize about the perfect tobacco shop, which is complete with a woman at the counter and a wife's parlor in the back. Couple this with her ingrained adherence to etiquette, which is so Victorian that it verges on total repression; she will not kiss Helen, put her arm around her waist, or even hold her hand. It seems all she's allowed to do during the courting stage is buy Helen expensive items. From this, I can only speculate that Albert's desire for Helen is founded not on personality, common interests, or even basic sexuality, but rather on creating an ideal and proper image of marriage. She's in love with a domestic role, not a person. I've already mentioned the ending. It would be too harsh to say that it cheats, for it depicts a series of events that are entirely possible. That being said, it leaves everything unresolved. There's a fine line between not tying things up in neat little packages and simply neglecting to take the story further, and this movie crosses it. Think of it as a phone conversation that gets disconnected just as the person at the other end is about to tell you something important. Furthermore, you're sure to be struck by how monumentally unfair the final scene is. Is that the other theme of this movie? Unfulfilled dreams? "Albert Nobbs" tells an unlikely story, so I see no reason why it couldn't have had an unlikely ending. Realism doesn't make a movie better by default.

Worthy and well made, but about Hubert Page, not Albert Nobbs

[joachimokeefe · 4/10 · 5 March 2012]

This review gives away the ending, which partly illustrates the movie's problem.

Glenn Close plays a woman who has lived for thirty years as a man, the head steward at an upmarket Dublin hotel at the turn of the century when you could lose your (pathetic) job for having a stain on your tie. In that climate, having to disguise your gender is the least of your worries.

Albert Nobbs was abandoned as a child, then later gang-raped. This seems to support the characterisation of Albert as a severely introverted individual, terrified or unable to express any sort of feeling as she salts away her tip money under the floorboards in her room at the top of the stairs. Albert's dream is to buy a small shop, and as her target of £600 slowly gets nearer, she begins to fantasise about having a partner to share her new life with.

There are two candidates: Helen (Mia Wasikowska), the cute but flighty parlourmaid, and Hubert Page (Janet McTeer), a jobbing painter who reveals herself (thanks Janet!) to Albert as a fellow(?) transvestite. Hubert, however, is comfortable in her sexuality and has a partner Mary (Maria Doyle Kennedy, an excellent portrayal). Hubert and Mary's life is exactly what Albert wants: a small cottage business, and a mantlepiece with a pretty clock on it.

The Upstairs/Downstairs/Downton Abbey staging of the story is great; and you also begin by feeling a little admiration for Albert, who manages to both completely repress her misery and be extremely good at her job. Where her life - and the film - starts to unravel is when Albert is forced by the hotel proprietor (Pauline Collins giving it the full TV soap star treatment) to share her bed with Hubert when he/she has to stop overnight. When Hubert sees that Albert has breasts, Albert goes to pieces, begging Hubert not to give her away; and this doesn't ring true because the jump from severely repressed to gibbering wreck is simply instantaneous. Thirty years of self-control broken down by a flea in your corset? For whatever reason the feeling of a terrible secret about to be uncovered is not there - maybe it's because we already know Glenn Close isn't a man. There's not enough buildup, or maybe it's because Albert's grovelsome job is so boring we feel she'd be better off - or more interesting - out of it.

In a subplot which mistakenly becomes the main plot, Helen the maid gets pregnant by Joe (Aaron Johnson), the dishy 'young man about the hotel' who finesses his way into the job by luckily sorting out the plumbing. As he turns out to be a boozing rotter, he persuades Helen to 'walk out' with Albert in the hopes of getting expensive treats before he and Helen leave for America.

But by this time in the movie, Albert has completely stopped being interesting. What does the character want? Not to be lonely? This isn't shown well enough: Albert continues to go about her job as normal, and the story digresses into vignettes of all the other characters whose stories are actually a lot easier to empathise with.

When Hubert's partner Mary dies in a typhoid outbreak, Albert misguidedly proposes to move in with Hubert and live the dream. This shows that Albert has no understanding of a loving relationship, only a longing for one. Hubert is kind and sympathetic, and she and Albert wear a couple of Mary's handmade dresses to the beach for the day, but a relationship is out of the question, throwing Albert back on the two-timing Helen.

•••••••••••• SPOILER •••••••••••••

Fast-forward to the ending. Albert attempts to remonstrate with Joe when he starts beating Helen. He pushes her away, and when she then jumps on his back Albert is thrown hard against a wall, obviously concussed. Albert conveniently fails to lock her bedroom door, goes to bed and.... dies. Pauline Collins, going through Albert's meagre belongings, finds her account book in a scene worthy of a a bad pantomime. To wrap up - she uses the money to pay Hubert to redecorate the hotel, and in the last scene Hubert looks like she's going to take Helen and her baby under her wing. The question of when she tells Helen she's not a man is the same one that kept nagging at Albert when he first met the lesbian couple.

And that's the problem with the movie: it's an axiom of (mainstream) storywriting that the story is about the character who makes the greatest sacrifice. Hubert loses the partner who 'was her world', redeems the cute, misguided character, and unknowingly benefits from Albert's death. Albert doesn't sacrifice anything or redeem anyone, she just fails, fails again, and dies in a sad way. For Albert we feel sympathy, but for Hubert we feel much, much more. Albert is a supporting character in Hubert's movie, and for most of the movie Hubert is absent. It's as though 'Casablanca' had been called 'Sam the Pianist'.

The film is very good to look at and Close is very convincing, accent drift notwithstanding, but the screenplay falls into an elephant trap.

A beautiful film about a sad and repressed life

[Gordon-11 · 25 December 2011]

This film is about a woman who pretends to be a man to survive back in the 19th century Ireland.

"Albert Nobbs" is a well made film. It portrays Albert Nobbs down to the last detail. His personality, his hopes and dreams, his sad past are all told exquisitely and engagingly. The character is well portrayed and enacted. He is intensely private to guard his deepest secret, and yet he is also an emotional person that longs for love and companionship. His tormented soul creates much resonance and sympathy from the viewers. Albert's sad past and present is heartbreaking, and the film makes viewers yearn for a better future for Albert. "Albert Nobbs" is a beautiful film about a person's sad and repressed life.

Disguised as Ourselves

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 29 January 2012]

Greetings again from the darkness. We are accustomed to movies with men posing as women for comedic effect ... Mrs. Doubtfire and Tootsie come to mind. Watching an extremely serious, even bleak, film with a woman (Glenn Close) posing as a man is a bit unusual, and I will say, downright uncomfortable. When Albert Nobbs is described by his co-workers as an odd little man, they have no idea!

The film is based on a novella by George Moore, and has been a pet project of Glenn Close since she starred in an off-Broadway play in the 1980's. Her dream has been realized in this film directed by Rodrigo Garcia. The film has an extremely talented cast including Brendan Gleeson as a doctor, Bronagh Gallagher as Mrs Page, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson and Brenda Fricker as hotel staff, Pauline Collins as the hotel proprietor, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a frequent hotel guest.

Beyond that fabulous cast, the only thing that really makes the film worth watching is the curious performance of Ms. Close as Albert Nobbs and the colorful turn by Janet McTeer as Mr. Page ... the only one (we know of) who can understand what Albert is going through. Both are nominated for Oscars. During the film, we get the personal story from each of these characters on why they made their choice, but Albert's story is a bit muddled. He/she seems to have just fallen into the life and been unable to stop for the past 30 years. Now, Albert has a dream that can only be achieved through the wages earned as the non-descript, efficient waiter.

There are many painful scenes to watch, but none moreso than Albert courting Helen so that he can have a partner for his new business. He has no idea of how a real relationship works or why people are attracted to each other. Albert just sees Helen as a means to an end. Some will enjoy this much more than I, as the thought of pretending to be someone you aren't for 3 decades is just more than I can even comprehend. When Gleeson's doctor spouts that he has no reason why people choose to lead such miserable lives, I concur whole-heartedly.

Albert Nebbish

[jadepietro · 6/10 · 10 February 2012]

This film is mildly recommended.

Not only is Albert Nobbs an odd little man, it's an odd little movie too. Based on a modest Off-Broadway show that starred a younger Glenn Close in the title role, the film was always a pet vanity project for the actress, who produced the film as well. It is obvious that the central character's dilemma and the script's feminist viewpoint appealed to the actress ( who also co- wrote the screenplay with John Banville ). But, on screen, Albert is rather unappealing and his / her rationale to become a cross-dresser in late 19th century Ireland seems like a rather flimsy financial excuse for such a drastic lifestyle makeover.

Ms. Close portrays Mr. Nobbs in a very restrained manner. She becomes the manservant, with an emphasis on the first syllable in this case, a man who wants to go unnoticed, earn his keep, and save his money for a future investment. Yes, she's caught up a male dominated society, but other women still owned property and attained wealth without the need of disguises. So this method of masquerade becomes slightly suspect, serving more as a plot device than a customary way of achieving one's goals.

With so much riding on the gender switch, the physical transformation of Mr. Nobbs is so crucial to the film's success. The angularity of Ms. Close's facial features downplays her more feminine traits and, with expert make-up and prosthetics, compliments the male side of the character. ( Special praise goes to Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston, and Matthew W. Mungle on their creative and believable contributions to the film. ) The final result is a slight and homely man, a Casper Milquetoast type of less-than-manly proportions. The filmmakers want the movie audience to automatically root for this meek and milky white 98 lb. weakling. I didn't. The character of Albert remained too lifeless and emotionally bland, and a bit problematic in an underwritten role for me to truly care.

This is not the fault of the actress who gives a flawless performance with her flawed character. Rather, it's the script that fails to fully develop the film's characters and its story, allowing subplots and minor characters to become preachy and melodramatic in words and actions.

Ms. Close does bring to this timid soul a steely reserve and highlights his anxiety in most subtle ways. ( In perhaps her best scene, Albert's walk of freedom on the beach is so beautifully rendered and the actress masterfully shows her conflicted viewpoint without words. ) Yet I kept questioning Albert's choice to live an on-going lie on a daily basis. How can such a character ever find true happiness and live a full life? Is money that all encompassing and worth the sacrifice of sexual identity? This interpretation exacts a toll on its main character, who seems chiefly concerned with his own personal profit and pleasures. The film becomes more convoluted when asexual Albert begins to develop feelings for a cute and unsuspecting chambermaid, played by Mia Wasikowska, who is herself attracted to a handsome and available cad named Joe ( Aaron Johnson ). Can Albert be that delusional about his sense of self and his future goals? HIs motivations are never explained, only inferred.

Later, Albert befriends a painter named Hubert Page, also a woman disguised as a man, but he / she is the direct opposite of Albert: a person full of life, happy and unafraid, a woman in love and involved in a positive lesbian relationship. This character is so much more interesting and is played to the hilt by Janet McTeer. McTeer's much more showier role upstages our hero and sends the film off-kilter from the moment she enters the story. She quickly energizes the film, especially since Rodrigo Garcia directs this moralistic tale in a deliberately slower pace than needed, which only makes Albert Nobbs ( the character ) and Albert Nobbs ( the movie ) become the ultimate drag. ( Pardon the pun, I just couldn't resist the urge. Do I hear an amen, sister? )

Still the film boasts two of the strongest female performances this year and is worth seeing just for their nuanced portrayals. Albert Nobbs wants the moviegoer to empathize and care for its central character, but its message is as confused and addled as its hero/ heroine. GRADE: B-

NOTE: Visit my movie blog for more reviews: www.dearmoviegoer.com

Sterile and tedious yet very well made.

[CineCritic2517 · 6/10 · 6 February 2012]

Close plays Nobbs, a female dressing as a male butler in 19th century Ireland. As she dreams of opening her own shop with the money she saved over the years, she finds herself in need of a spouse. But since she is in reality a female, some unforeseen complications ensue.

Although Close is transformed marvelously and convincingly into a male, the movie suffers progressively from the lack of a compelling narrative and suspense. It just beautifully stumbles from one unfortunate or silly event to the next leaving little memorable scenes in its wake. Even though the role of Janet McTeer also posing as a man, is lauded, the role is particularly unconvincing causing some irritation. Suggesting Close should be up for an Oscar for this movie is ridiculous; she barely has 20 lines in the film and is simply a vehicle for a very convincing make up job.

Glenn Close...

[Thanos_Alfie · 6/10 · 8 February 2023]

"Albert Nobbs" is a Drama - Romance movie in which we watch a woman posing as a man and working as a butler in Dublin's most elegant hotel in late 19th-century. Everything change for her when she meets a handsome painter.

I liked this movie because it had an interesting plot that was captivating. The interpretation of Glenn Close who played as Albert Nobbs was simply amazing and she made the difference. Some other interpretations that have to be mentioned were Mia Wasikowska's who played as Helen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's who played as Joe and Janet McTeer's who played as Hubert Page. In conclusion, I have to say that "Albert Nobbs" is an interesting movie and I believe that everybody will gain something by watching it so, I highly recommend it to everyone especially for the interpretation of Glenn Close.

A different Glenn Close at her best....

[aeljs · 10/10 · 8 December 2011]

Glenn Close's portrayal of the title character was excellent! She was at her best in this picture. Perhaps the reason why other people who saw the movie felt that the movie is draggy and her portrayal is so-so was because there wasn't any hysteria in it. There wasn't any grandstanding scene. There wasn't a shouting match. No loud confrontations. No slapping and hair-pulling scenes. It's a quiet movie so unlike of Close's other known portrayals.

But one can't simply ignore the greatness she has shown in her eyes. You can feel the sadness, the pain, the fears and the hope in her eyes. It was a quiet, restrained performance that is quite haunting that stays in your mind even after watching it. And that's what happened to me. Hours after watching it, the scenes and her story still lingers in my mind.

Everyone in the movie gave worthy performances.... Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson, Pauline Collins, Brendan Gleeson, Jonathan Rhys Myers (even though he was in 3-4 scenes only) and most especially, Janet McTeer.

McTeer's characterization was superb. Her body built helped a lot in her portrayal of Hubert Page. But i don't believe that she upstaged Close's here. Her character was quite different from the character that Glenn Close was portraying. And both did quite well in giving justice to the roles they played in the movie.

The beach scene was excellent... quiet, yet conveys so much feelings...

How i wish that those who've seen the movie and saw it differently will watch it again and see the story from Albert Nobbs' point of view. See the expressions in 'his' eyes and feel the tragedy of the life 'he' has gone through.

Glenn Close really deserves to win the Oscar's Best Actress plum with this movie.

Albert Nobbs

[henry8-3 · 6/10 · 14 November 2021]

19th Century Ireland and women have little opportunity to demonstrate their independence. Glenn Close plays the titular Nobbs, a timid and seemingly rather lost person who has impersonated a man all her life. One day she meets a decorator who persuades her how she can improve her life.

I had grave reservations about what seemed like an ego trip come experiment for a top actress and one where obvious make up would be a distraction throughout. I was though pleasantly surprised. It's a slight tale full of drama, societal cruelty and snobbery that offers precious little that is new, albeit what there is, is skilfully conveyed and by a strong supporting cast. It is also really rather heart warming with a genuinely impressive performance by Close, and possibly even more so by McTeer.

Oh, No! Another Teaching Moment!

[marsanobill · 3/10 · 27 January 2015]

Lovely sets and costumes and yes, Glenn Close is very good at appearing to be nearly lifeless, although to me it's more of an annoyance than a performance. And yes, the abuses and humiliations visited upon Victorian servants are made clear ('Downton Abbey'is heaven by comparison). But face it: this is one of those movies whose scriptwriters want to teach us about suffering and ennoble us by causing us to care. One way you can tell is by anachronistic scriptwriting, as when Nobbs's painter friend, who turns out to be a lesbian disguised as a man, says "You don't have to be anything but what you are." Oh, please. That is utterly out of time. There are other problems. Nobbs wants to marry but is somehow totally unaware of the fact that an overwhelming majority of people want there to be two sexes involved in their marriages. Nobbs is at least 30; has she not eyes to see and ears to hear? Not noticed that ALL of the couples dining, staying and fooling around at the hotel are two-sex couples? That the painter and her wife are the only lesbian couple she's ever run into? He twice spends time pondering the weighty but ludicrous question "Do I tell her (that I'm a woman) before the wedding or after?" And even though he seems to realize that that could be something of a surprise if not shock to the intended bride, and although aware that her painter pal could help out here, she manages (aided by the script's heavy hand) not to ask, despite numerous opportunities. How does Albert decided to marry, anyway? It seems to be mainly because someone told him to, and even fingered a convenient bride. It's not even clear that Nobbs knows the difference between a lesbian relationship and what used to be called a 'Boston marriage,' which involved 2 women living as friends, not lovers. Nor is it clear that Albert wants one or the other. My favorite scene comes when the painter, following up on his 'be who you are' baloney, clads himself and Albert in his wife's dresses (she has a little too-conveniently died, just out of the blue) and the two of the go for a walk on the beach. And lo and behold, it is a LIBERATING moment for Albert:he's wearing a dress! He's BEING WHO HE REALLY IS!! Albert goes running full-tilt down the deserted beach down, looking for all the world as if he's going to take off in a Johnathan Livingston Seagull moment or yell "I'm free! I'm free!"Laugh? I though I'd die. In short, this is a tedious collection of pious thought for right-thinking people, and a complete waste of time.

Haunting, bittersweet gender swap period piece proves illuminating

[Turfseer · 8/10 · 20 January 2012]

Having seen director Rodrigo Garcia's excellent 'Woman and Child' at last year's Spirit Award screenings, I was surprised to see him tackling a period piece, 'Albert Nobbs', which is based on a 1927 novella by the Irish novelist, George Moore, and later turned into a stage production in 1982, starring Glenn Close, who now again tackles the title role, this time playing the part decidedly as a middle-aged character. Garcia is one of today's leading directors as he has a reputation for being sensitive to the needs of women and extremely competent in directing them.

'Albert Nobbs' is set in the late nineteenth century in Dublin and focuses on Glenn Close as Albert, a woman who works as a servant at the Morrison Hotel and who's been pretending to be a man since the age of 14. When Mrs. Baker, the pretentious proprietress of the hotel (brilliantly played by Pauline Collins, known for her role in the famed TV series, 'Upstairs, Downstairs'), orders Albert to put up house painter Hubert Page (played by a fantastic Janet McTeer), for the night in her room, Albert can no longer hide her disguise when she's compelled to strip off her corset due to an infestation of fleas inside her clothes. It looks like Page is going to end up blackmailing Albert but in a great plot twist, she reveals that she's a woman too, by revealing her pendulous breasts.

Albert, who is extremely reserved, is shocked at Page's revelation but nonetheless is impressed how Page conducts herself as a man. While Albert is deathly afraid of being found out, Page is self-assured and cocky. She even is legally married to a woman and they have a loving relationship (Albert seeks to learn if they're on intimate terms, but Page refuses to tell).

Albert dreams of opening up a tobacco shop and has been hoarding her money underneath a floorboard in her room. With Hubert as a model, Albert becomes a infatuated with Helen, a very pretty, young servant girl. While Mia Wasikowska practically sleep-walked through her recent role as 'Jane Eyre', here director Garcia turns her into a powerhouse of vacillating feelings and emotions. Soon, Mrs. Baker hires the young 'bad boy' boiler repairman, Joe, and Helen falls for him hook, line and sinker.

There are actually two antagonists in 'Albert Nobbs'. First is the Victorian society itself, that forces women such as Albert and Hubert to deny their true selves, in order to survive. It was all about economics, as women were paid very little or weren't allowed to work at all. Often, they were brutalized by alcoholic husbands and some (or should I say, a few) chose to run away and hide their identities, acting as men. The epitome of those men who put women in such a position, is the ne'er-do-well, Joe, who can't control his anger and refuses to accept the idea that he has a responsibility to act as a caring father.

While 'Nobbs' is often sad, director Garcia wisely inserts some humorous scenes to balance the tragedy. There's a great scene where Albert and Hubert take a stroll on the beach, dressed as women. Ever so briefly, Albert actually gets to experience feelings of joy, as she runs down the shore for the first in women's clothes. They seem to revel in their awkwardness but Albert soon trips and falls. The joy is short-lived and we immediately cut back to the hotel, where Albert must re-assume his role as the stiff-necked servant.

Tragedy is unavoidable when a typhoid epidemic claims the life of Hubert's wife, Kathleen. And Joe, in his anger, knocks Albert against a wall, after the two tussle for Helen's affection. The blow against the wall is the coup de grace, as Albert does not survive.

Garcia also depicts the brutal class differences in the late nineteenth century. The guests at the hotel are for the most part quite arrogant and treat the servants as inferiors. Not everybody back then was unkind though. Dr. Holloran orders Mrs. Baker not to throw Helen out on the streets after she becomes pregnant.

'Albert Nobbs' ends on a bittersweet note. Dr. Holloran bemoans Albert's fate when he discovers that she's a woman on her deathbed. But Hubert plays the role of the redeeming angel. He learns from Helen that soon child welfare officials will come for the baby and Mrs. Baker will indeed throw her out on the streets. But Hubert assures her that it won't happen—that soon she will take Helen as a wife and protect her and the baby from any harm.

There has been some criticism that the Albert character is underdeveloped and needs more of a back story. One critic writes: "Nobbs is so emotionally stunted by the very act of living as to almost cease to exist." There may be some truth in that opinion but by the same token, we do learn about Albert's childhood and how she came to adopt her role as a man. You can probably appreciate Albert's character more if you place it in contrast to Hubert. They should be looked as a team, reminiscent of 'Laurel and Hardy', sans the comedy. Albert's demeanor is both dour and precise; he's a bit of a Chaplinesque character, and although her pursuit of Helen is naïve, it's quite heartfelt. Hubert is always comfortable in her own skin, and is much more confident than Albert. In a sense, Albert lives on in Hubert, who must be seen as a great 'protector' of all women.

'Albert Nobbs' is a very impressive film with a top-notch cast. Close and McTeer work wonders in difficult roles and are supported by equally impressive supporting players. The cinematography evokes the bygone era of turn-of-the-century Dublin with director Garcia most ably conveying what it was like living in such a repressed atmosphere. Maybe that's why James Joyce eventually left Dublin and never came back.

Enjoyable, but plagued by great ideas not leading to a great movie

[secondtake · 6/10 · 14 November 2012]

Albert Nobbs (2011)

A great plot with some nuances of meaning, and some excellent acting. Set in Dublin a century ago, it manages to suggest, at least, the problems of some women trying to survive in a hard world. And to hint at how some people, men and women both we assume, were also struggling to be their true sexual selves in an age where openness was worse than impossible.

To have all this go awry isn't really the fault of the writing, which is good if tainted by a few clichés of period movies. It's the direction most of all that drags the thing out, making individual scenes laborious and making the whole movie take work when it should have been a joy. "Albert Nobbs" is a great idea without great direction.

You should know this is no comedy, though it seems to want to be at times (and the preview, which I saw in the theater, leads us this way). If there are little ironies and if the manners of the time, and the difference in classes, strikes us as funny, that certainly is not the larger tone of the movie. Glenn Close is central and holds up her end of things beautifully, if now and then a bit over acted in both directions. Around her is a cast of good actors who are not brought out fully--and that helps drag the movie down.

I also think the subplots are more interesting than the main one, and in this I can't give too much away. But Close's situation as a butler in this decently middling hotel leads us to see the fate of others in her lower class trying to find a way to survive, and to be themselves. A more integrated ensemble movie would have sustained it all through, and also made the last twenty minutes more convincing as these disparate pieces cross paths anew.

Enough said. It's a fair affair, and won't be a waste of your time so long you expect it to be what it is.

Should have stayed in Development Hell

[thevagusgirl · 1/10 · 21 February 2012]

This film perfectly exemplifies what happens to a script and to the creative instincts of the people behind a project when the journey to the screen takes almost thirty years.

The script that was filmed has lost its way.

The film is agnostic as to whether it is about gender politics, the impact of the class system or is simply a charming Oirish romp.

It's drowning in stereotypes, which is a travesty considering the quality of the cast. Only Janet McTeer put in an interesting performance and kept me from walking out. Close is unwatchable. The attention she has gotten for this role is baffling.

I can't even recommend it as a curiosity. It is simply dreadful.