If lies, deceit, struggle, and hardship with a deluded sense of hopeful prospect had a face, then it would be the face of Albert Nobbs. I reveal nothing that the trailer doesn't when I say that Albert is a woman in the guise of man desperately trying to maintain a lie she created in order to deal with the uncompromising work environment of 19th century Ireland. Albert (for I can give her no other name) is a butler in a hotel which caters to the most snobbish of the snobs, the elitist of the elite; a hotel in which tact and presentation means income or the poorhouse for its employees.
Since she was 14, Albert has donned the clothes of men in order to support herself after she was left alone in the world. A brilliant waiter, but a lonely soul, she has scrimped and saved for years in order to better her life and escape what must surely be a self-made prison. The years of secrecy show on her face, but the introduction of one Hubert Page offers her a way out. Hubert leads the same sort of lie, but her life is somehow better than Albert's--she's happy. What's more, she's married.
After getting past the initial strangeness of the setup, I did expect this to be a rather traditionally told narrative. Albert wants to open a tobacco shop. She falls in love with a beautiful, but cold and manipulative kitchen maid. It seemed almost certain to me that Albert would continue to work hard, try to foster this romance, be exploited for her naivety in the face of women, have her heart broken, but with the help of Hubert rise above it and accomplish her dreams.
Typhoid seems to have a mind of its own, though. The story shifted dramatically before arriving at a more somber conclusion with Albert born anew, but people like Nobbs cannot be a part of that frigid world in which she lived.
The story was not terribly absorbing. It seemed rather cliche in some bits and the directing didn't do it many favors in that it milked those moments which had the ability to be milked, but are better off left alone. What was extraordinary, though, were the performances of Glenn Close as Albert, and even more so that of Janet McTeer who played Hubert. In fact, McTeer practically stole this film right from under Close's feet, which is remarkable considering how exceptionally good Close is as an actress.
Of course, I'm not sure it is really fair to compare the two as their characters really are like apples and oranges. Albert is quiet, studious, not particularly engaging, has a thoughtful mind for the future, and is really very uncomfortable in her own skin even though she has told the lie so often she believes it herself (himself?). Hubert fills a room when she enters. She is a towering figure, not well educated, but secure in who she is and why she does what she does. Albert dresses as a man out of fear and security, Hubert because she is love.
I think I must talk about McTeer more, however, because I was quite taken by what she was able to deliver. Her looks, her mannerisms, her posture, her voice--she was so fully convincingly a man that during a scene in which the two of them wore dresses I laughed the way that I would had a seen a man their outfits. She was Hubert, even when exposing her breasts. It was a really astonishing performance, and I find it sad that she isn't even considered the front-runner for this year's Oscar when I feel she should be untouchable compared to the other ladies in her category.
There were several other very good and key actors in this film: Mia Wasikowska, Brendan Gleeson, and Pauline Collins, amongst others. The other themes of class and gender made me think instantly of Robert Altman's "Gosford Park." It certainly seems that it would be preferable to be rich in that day and age--those poorhouses don't sound particularly nice.
I would recommend this film for the amazing gender-bending skills of the two leading ladies. The story, in particular the unnecessary and trite sub-plot romance between a maid and boiler serviceman, really made me restless, and for that I cannot give it a solid recommendation. If I were to watch it again, I'd simply skip to the scenes with Close playing opposite McTeer, because those are the only points were you will find something new and interesting to watch.
2.5/4
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