Albert Nobbs

MOVIE REVIEW OF Albert Nobbs (2011) R

Cast
Director:	rodrigo garcia	Runtime: 1hrs 53min ( 113 min)
albert nobbs	.....	glenn close
emmy	.....	antonia campbell-Hughes
helen dawes	.....	mia wasikowska
margaret 'madge' baker	.....	pauline collins
mary	.....	maria doyle kennedy
sean casey	.....	mark williams
patrick donahue	.....	james greene
mrs. moore	.....	serena brabazon
mr. moore	.....	michael mcElhatton
milady	.....	dolores mullaly
miss shaw	.....	bonnie mcCormick
mrs. cavendish	.....	phyllida law
dr. holloran	.....	brendan gleeson
monsieur pigot	.....	kenneth collard
madame pigot	.....	judy donovan
viscount yarrell	.....	jonathan rhys meyers
viscountess yarrell	.....	phoebe walter bridge
mrs. smythe-Williams	.....	emerald fennell
mr. smythe-Wlliams	.....	john light
mr. sweeney	.....	daniel costello
mrs. gilligan	.....	angeline ball
mr. gilligan	.....	philip o' sullivan
joe mackens	.....	aaronn taylor-Johnson
polly	.....	brenda fricker
young kitchen maid	.....	katie long
older kitchen maid	.....	katie o' brien
porter	.....	mark doherty
george moore	.....	rhys burke
milly moore	.....	lauren kinsella
hubert page	.....	janet mcTeer
laundry maid	.....	katie ann mcDonough
laundry maid	.....	kathleen warner yeates
laundry maid	.....	cate macGabman
cathleen	.....	bronagh gallagher
woman on landau	.....	antoinette healy
chocolate shop waitress	.....	annie starke
nanny	.....	cathy white
health official	.....	malcolm blacow
country girl	.....	lily melcher
country girl	.....	lucie melcher
albert joseph (helen's baby)	.....	raul riva
polly's dog	.....	juno
laundry maid	.....	anna elizabeth mcGrath
snooty dinner guest	.....	una caryll

PLOT SUMMARY

Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) keeps a humble living as an in-house waiter at the Morrison Hotel in 19^th century Dublin, Ireland. Albert also has a secret...he is a she. In a world where women are not held with high respect, this is her only way of accomplishing her dream of owning her own business. She is stashing her wages and tips in the floorboards. Enter Hubert Page (Janet McTeer). Hubert is the inspiration that changes Albert's life. This is mostly from the fact that Hubert, too, has a secret.

Several complex characters add to the many sub-plots that weave together nicely in the ending.

TECH INSPECTION

First, I must say that I am not a big fan of period pieces. Therefore, it is saying volumes when I express my admiration of this movie. Once again (I believe the third time since I began this blog), I am persuaded to praise the quality of foreign movies. This one is brought to us from Ireland.

Glenn Close is absolutely brilliant as Albert Nobbs. Make-up, of course, is part of the magic, but Close's performance had me constantly forgetting that it is a female character. Her co-star, Janet McTeer, also gives an unbelievable performance. I have a problem, though, with her low-list billing.

I won't go into too much detail, because the entire movie runs a similar course as a mystery. At each turn of a scene, another advacement in the scheme of things makes you put off that bathroom break another five minutes.

If, however, you find you can't move past the cross-dressing, secret affairs, and hypocric---I mean aristocracy, then you ought to just leave this movie alone and go see Jean Claude Van Damme. It is a mature movie for those who can see the artistic value of a thoughful story of people living with deep secrets that are disrupting and destroying their lives.

Although not deeply emotional movie, emotions are an essential aspect of the telling of the story.

One last praise for this film is earmarked for the title song. Written by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close, and sung by Sinéad O'Conner, "Lay Down Your Head" is simply enchanting, and very appropriate for this movie.

EXTRA

I am not one to point out trivial discrepancies in a review. I will, however, make an exception here.

When Albert goes to visit Hubert for the first time, Mrs. Page invites her to stay for dinner, she tells Hubert to take Albert's hat and coat. The catch...Albert isn't wearing a hat. The redemption...Albert is carrying an umbrella, so Hubert takes that instead.

QUOTES
Finally, a short list of quotes I think are worth repeating. You may recognize some, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:

• Sean : Give us some marmalade, Mister Donahue.
  [Patrick passes the salt halfway]
  [Albert passes the salt to Sean with a grin]
  Sean : The marmalade
  Polly : The marmalade, Patrick. Pass the marmalade to Mister Casey.
  Patrick : Always on Tuesdays if I recall correctly.
• Dr. Holloran : Why aren't you in fancy dress?
  Albert : Me, sir? Well...I'm a waiter.
  Dr. Holloran : I'm a doctor. We are both disguised as ourselves. That's a good one, eh?
• Helen : Do you know what, Mister Nobbs? I think you are the strangest man I have ever met.
• Helen : You don't know Albert Nobbs if you think you can get him to pay our way out of here. He wouldn't give you the steam off his water.
• Dr. Holloran : Oh, Albert Nobbs.
• Dr. Holloran : Dear Jesus, I don't know what makes people live such miserable lives.
• Helen : His name is Albert...Albert Joseph.
  Hubert : So it's a he, is it?

RATING

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.
¹⁰ /₁₀

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