Albert Nobbs (2011) - Rodrigo Garcia

Albert Nobbs is the story of a woman, who is forced to live as a man in 19th century Ireland in order to achieve the things in life a woman could not. Working as a butler at a upper-class hotel, she dreams of opening up her own store. This is a character study through and through, with Glenn Close giving a strong performances as the title character. Nobbs is a rather tragic character- a woman with true wants and desires that has been living a lie her entire life. Through her friendship with a painter, Nobbs slowly begins to come out of her emotional shell, and falling in love with one of the fellow nurses-though her naive approach and timid nature is hard to watch. This is a good film, that is no doubt elevated by Close's performance. That being said, I wish the film would have had a little more to say as at times it feels like it's not entirely sure how it wants to be, stuck between telling this intimate portrait and the major social issue taking place at the time. It's solid but nothing about this film's aesthetic or story is all that riveting and/or interesting.

6.5/10 

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