Although “Albert Nobbs” delivers stunning performances, the film’s subpar writing and direction leaves much to be desired.
Directed by Rodrigo Garcia, “Albert Nobbs” takes place in late nineteenth-century century Dublin and follows the tragic life of a timid butler with an incredible secret. Triggered by traumatic events during adolescence and fueled by a desire to succeed financially, Albert lives as a woman in men’s clothing. In doing so, she must live in constant fear of being discovered. Then, as one might guess, she comes across another woman, played by Janet McTeer, who passes as a man in order to marry the woman she loves. The tale is a heartbreaking one, plagued with tragedy after tragedy, yet there are little areas of lightness and relief to counter the sullen plot. That is, of course, if one can see the silver lining generated by the pseudo-hilarious performance of Mark Williams (”Harry Potter”), who plays an alcoholic butler sucking the last drops of liquor out of his guests’ discarded tumblers. If one cannot find humor there, one won’t find it anywhere in this movie.
This is not the first time Glenn Close has walked in the old man’s shoes. The film originated from a theatrical performance starring Close in 1982 based on a short story by the Irish novelist George Moore. Nobbs’ character had such a deeply emotional impact on Close that she decided to pursue the idea of turning it into a feature film.
Close’s performance in the film is nothing short of breathtaking. Her portrayal is subtle and restrained and could, perhaps, be her greatest performance yet. Glenn Close can indeed be seen as something more than a zebra-haired puppy snatcher. This fantastic performance was matched only by Janet McTeer’s stunning portrayal of Hubert, the gruff sign painter.
The film itself, unfortunately, pales in comparison to the performances it boasts. Although the cinematography was beautiful and the costume design was believable, the directing and editing left an absence and there was much to be desired. There simply was no continuity anywhere in the film. Characters’ emotions were never given the chance to flourish and develop, so what viewers are left with are bits and pieces of what surely would have been even greater performances had they not been butchered. What is perhaps the only aspect worse than the directing is the writing of the film. The film was actually co-written by Close and was her first screenwriting credit to date. It’s interesting how such a phenomenal actress would give herself such terrible lines. Half of the movie consists of Albert talking to himself about how she will someday buy a tobacco shop and one cannot help but wonder whether it could (and should) have been done more creatively.
Despite the muck that both Close and McTeer’s characters had to wade in, the actress’ performances show through; a feat in itself. Both were rightfully awarded Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for their performances. Even though the Golden Globe for Best Actress was awarded to Meryl Streep for “Iron Lady” and the Best Supporting Actress to Octavia Spencer for “The Help,” the Academy Awards are still anyone’s game. Scheduled to air on February 26, Glenn Close is up for the Best Actress Oscar against the powerhouses of Michelle Williams (“My Week With Marilyn”) and Meryl Streep (“Iron Lady”) and the not-to-be-taken-lightly forces of Viola Davis (“The Help”) and Rooney Mara (“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”). McTeer will be vying for an even more competitive Best Supporting Actress prize against Bérénice Bejo (“The Artist”), Jessica Chastain (“The Help”), Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”), and Octavia Spencer (“The Help”).
The bottom line is: the film is bad, but the performances are legendary. For this reason, and this reason alone, “Albert Nobbs” is definitely worth watching, but in the comfort of your own home for a dollar at Redbox – ahem, I mean $1.20, thanks Redbox – but not for the price of a big screen ticket.
Geoff King can be reached at [email protected].
