Albert Nobbs (played by Glenn Close) is a woman stuck in a man’s role, living and working in a man’s world as a hotel butler.
Aside from having to hide her true identity, there is an overall sense of fear amongst the hotel workers – both male and female – when it comes to job security. Albert doesn’t want to end up in the poor house so she feels forced to trade her female identity for that of a male butler and take up work in a hotel. Albert longs for freedom and holds dreams of running his own business in town but any movement in this direction must be done in secret lest he be found out and lose it all.
Adapted from a short story by Irish author, George Moore, Albert Nobbs has been near to Glenn Close’s heart for several decades. This is a role that Close first played in the early 1980s in an off-Broadway play – a role which scored her an Obie award and rave reviews. Since then she has hoped to one day play the role in a film and at last her dream has become a reality, though I personally don’t know where her affection lies.
Close is excellent in this role, though. There’s no denying that the woman can act. Fellow actor Brendan Gleeson says, ‘The piece is not showy – Glenn’s not that way’. On this point, I agree. However when both he and Close go on to proclaim the story to be one of humour and fun, I’m lost. ‘Through all these years of working on Albert Nobbs I knew that there was humour in it, even if other people didn’t see it,’ Close has said. Perhaps it was just a little too highbrow for my taste.
This is not a feel-good movie. Nor is it terribly though-provoking or moving. I had trouble liking any of the characters and therefore found it difficult to sympathize with their complicated lives. I also found it difficult to detect if there was any underlying moral themes being communicated. Was it a metaphor for women’s rights, I asked my theatre buddy afterwards? He thought not. In fact, he figured there wasn’t much of anything going on in terms of the storyline whatsoever and I tend to agree.
This is not to say that Albert Nobbs is about nothing. On the contrary, quite a lot happens in the life of old Albert and his colleagues at Morrison’s Hotel. It’s just that my lack of sympathy for the characters made it so that I couldn’t have cared less. And that’s a problem for me, to be honest.
Another thing that bothered my theatre buddy was the unrealistic sets. The story is set in the 1800s but filmed in modern day Ireland so if you have a keen eye you’ll be sure to spot a few 21st century elements – including a rather significant building interior made of high-density fibreboard (or so I’m told). And, although Morrison’s hotel is billed as a ‘luxurious’ destination for the rich and semi-royal, nothing sparkled or shined. There was also an undercurrent of sexual crudeness throughout the film that somehow seemed to tarnish the characters for no apparent reason.
Aside from Glenn Close, the film also stars Alice in Wonderland’s Mia Wasikowska and young actor, Aaron Johnson (perhaps better known as Sam Taylor Wood’s toy boy).
I can’t honestly recommend this film as I simply didn’t like it. But, then again, my tastes include Fantastic Mr. Fox, Pineapple Express, and Revolutionary Road, so take from that what you will.
Albert Nobbs is in NZ cinemas from 26th December.
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