ALBERT NOBBS

Photos courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Glen Close plays a woman, playing a man in the 19th century drama ALBERT NOBBS.

Close is Albert Nobbs, a woman who has disguised herself as a man following a devastating childhood, and a horrific personal event. In addition to these setbacks, she feels the need to continue her charade because if she is detected, her livelihood as a waiter will be destroyed.

While working at the hotel where she has been employed for years, her secret is detected by one of the hotel’s contractors.

Who is Albert Nobbs? After watching a nearly two hour film about her, I still don’t know.

This is no fault of Close who embodies Albert, revealing as much about her wounded condition as she can. I bought every moment of Close as Albert, and more importantly, bought the fact that others would be convinced of her gender.

What I’m still unsure of is the extent of the psychological and emotional damage to Albert. She seems willing to continue the charade due to her current mental and psychological make-up, willing to sacrifice her life and love, and presumably others, for a business dream. Is Albert crazy? Is she being practical considering the circumstances? Many more questions exist than answers, and this certainly isn’t the intent of Close and two other screenwriters.

In a genre typically fixated on breaking the chains of societal status for love, ALBERT NOBBS seems resigned to the fact. Not only has Albert relegated herself to second-class citizen, but she more or less is comfortable in it. A glimmer of hope exists, one which is lit towards the latter third of the picture. But as fast as the hope flickers, it dims equally as quick, but not out of circumstance, but rather choice.

ALBERT NOBBS is as thematically confused as its lead character. I can’t recommend this intriguing, yet confounding costume drama.

Grade: C