| Site locale: United States |
|
||||
|
||||||
|
Best Blu-ray Deals  
|
Best Blu-ray Deals, See All the Deals » |
Top deals |
Price drops
|
 $4.99 |  $7.96 |  $14.99 |  $4.99 |  $8.99 |  $15.47 |  $7.99 |  $4.99 |  $7.99 |  $35.00 |  $9.99 |  $19.99 |  $4.99 |  $4.99 |  $9.25 |  $4.99 |  $9.93 |  $7.99 |  $42.99 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Albert Nobbs2011 | 113 min | R | 2.39:1
“Albert Nobbs” is a picture designed to showcase the versatility of its lead actress. In this case, the star is Glenn Close, a highly celebrated performer who’s been tearing up basic cable in recent years during her stint on FX’s “Damages.” “Albert Nobbs” is a rare big screen outing for Close (her first in four years), and her performance as the titular enigma is extraordinary in its study and interior emotional shiver. It’s a shame there’s more to the movie than just Close, as the conventional screenwriting and distracted direction tends to dilute this powerful show of thespian control. While it never comes together is a satisfying manner, the feature contains a few scattered moments of captivating awakening from Close, making the film worth a view if only to observe the actress find her footing in a challenging, highly bizarre role. 
Working as a waiter inside a posh Dublin hotel in the 1800s, Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) is a woman who’s successfully folded herself into the guise of a man long ago, using her faux gender to keep out of view, finding life more comfortable as wallpaper. When painter Hubert (Janet McTeer) arrives on the premises with the same secret, Albert finds release for the first time in a long time, fascinated with Hubert’s married life and comfort in her own bogus cover. After decades carefully saving her money, Albert is ready to open a small tobacco shop, looking to expand her horizons and take a wife. However, the object of her desire, maid Helen (Mia Wasikowska), is drawn to the manipulative charms of Joe (Aaron Johnson), an illiterate handyman who encourages his lover to bilk Albert out of all her money. Adapted from a short story by Irish novelist George Moore, “Albert Nobbs” has been fluffed up considerably to feel out a feature-length running time, revealing stretch marks with every fresh turn of the plot. At the center of the story is Albert, a puzzling personality who’s bound herself tight to live life as a man, free from overt judgment and period-appropriate restriction. A subservient mouse in a celebrated hotel, Albert spends her days pleasing guests with attentive service, waiting in earnest for a tip, adding to the growing collection of money stored under a floorboard in her room. During her downtime, Albert dreams of a golden future with her own shop, losing herself in the fantasy of individualism, away from malicious opinion. 
Although expected, Close is magnificent in a tricky role, losing herself behind subtle make-up additions and bulky clothing, making Albert’s transformation authentic -- she’s an odd duck with a touch of feminine hesitation to accentuate the struggle of her gender seclusion. It’s a fascinating performance with a pronounced sense of personal thaw, with Close capturing the relaxation of fears as her friendship with Hubert’s emboldens her to make serious life plans, reaching out to Helen to acquire a domestic stability and community position previously thought impossible. Close isolates the expansion of hope, balancing Albert’s day job of dreary subservience with her lofty dreams of success, delivering a rounded character out of a potentially campy premise, supported superbly by McTeer and her own take on masculine simulation. The entirety of “Albert Nobbs” should be devoted to the inner churn of the lead character, with enough trauma (the character’s decision to become a man is revealed as a dark psychological and physical turning point) and hesitation to explore for an entire motion picture. The script (co-written by Close) bends to cliché to make its points, ordering up a worthless subplot between Helen and Joe that introduces cruelty to the story, slapping on another layer of suffering for Albert. Filmmaker Rodrigo Garcia doesn’t offer confident direction, fumbling the intimacy of the characters while chasing clunky moments of verbose melodrama that feel artificial to a story best articulated solely in glances and delicate body language. “Albert Nobbs” introduces some powerful sequences of confession and resolution, only to watch a steady pace of intriguing exposure eroded by convention. 
“Albert Nobbs” ends up without the curious feeling it commences with, chipping away a fascinating character until she’s reduced to banal nobility without a fitting wash of pity to support her efforts. Nevertheless, Close is magnetic, accepting an acting experiment with a thrilling fearlessness and devotion to complete immersion. If only the rest of the production matched her grace and concentration. Starring: Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Janet McTeer, Brendan Gleeson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers Director: Rodrigo Garcia » See full cast & crew |
 
Trending Blu-ray Movies
Trending in Theaters
Most Popular Blu-ray Movie Deals
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This web site is not affiliated with the Blu-ray Disc Association. All trademarks are the property of the respective trademark owners. © 2002-2013 Blu-ray.com. All rights reserved. Mobile | Registration problems | Business/Advertising Inquiries | Privacy Policy | Legal Notices |
