Pluskylang Great Film overall

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Prismark10 Glenn Close gives an outstanding performance as Albert Nobbs. A hard working waiter in a run down but posh hotel in late 19th century Dublin, Albert dreams of getting enough money together to open up a tobacco shop.Albert is a man of few words and fewer relationships with the people he works with. When he is forced to share his room with Hubert who is decorating the hotel, Albert's secret is revealed, he is a woman forced to adopt a male persona to make his way in life and get away from the grasping hands of men. Then again so is Hubert (Janet McTeer) who reveals her magnificent pair of breasts.With Hubert who lives life with a wife in the country, Albert is liberated somewhat as he visits her home, running down the beach wearing a dress for the first time in years.The film is a mixture of the Upstairs Downstairs setting of Dublin society, wealthy patrons who visit the hotel to have a good time. The servants below decks are subservient to them, as one wrong word or move from them could lead to instant dismissal by order of some of these tyrannical guests.It is a sad, grim tale. You sense a downbeat ending as the passive Albert shows an interest in young Helen Dawes (Mia Wasikowska) a maid at the hotel who has a rough boyfriend.Glenn Close played Albert Nobbs in a stage play in the early 1980s and the film adaptation was a labour of love for her. It is a small scale film, but Albert is a character is just so buttoned up in contrast with the more free spirited Hubert.

Marie Foxwood First, I watched this on Netflix and their description was not accurate: "A woman disguised as a man and working in a posh 19th century hotel reconsiders her charade when a handsome painter arrives on the scene." So I'm thinking funny love story with some tense drama and a happy ending. I did not laugh, smile, frown or feel any emotion at all while watching this. I cry over roadkill so if a movie can't evoke an emotional response from me, even when a sympathetic main character dies, there is a problem. This movie was as flat as Glenn Close's over injected face. I kept waiting for this movie to make some kind of sense. When Albert was telling Hubert her story, I figured it out. This film is not for entertainment, it is a sermon. As a movie watcher and societal participant, I am sick to death of being nudged into this "men are responsible for all of the evils in the world" view, which over the past half century, seems to have infiltrated our society. Almost every single male character in this production (even those not on screen) is a physically abusive, alcoholic womanizer. Was there not one man on Earth in the 19th century that wasn't a substance abusing, psychotic rapist? Even the good doctor couldn't keep his face out of the bottle and his hands off the poor maid. Hollywood, if you're listening, I think we've covered this. Let's move on please unless of course your goal is to create a whole generation of self loathing men who feel guilty about being alive. Perhaps I could have tolerated the obvious man hating if the story made sense and didn't leave me worrying about the welfare of Mia Wasikowska's character. Creepy isn't a creepy enough word to describe the ending.Here's a more accurate description. If anyone working at Netflix is reading this, feel free to use it. "An abused woman disguised as a man working in a posh 19th century hotel meets another abused woman disguised as a man who is married to a woman, decides to get married herself by deceiving another abused but much younger pregnant woman into marriage in order to staff a fictional tobacco shop."

irishsounds Glenn Close's 2011 film adaptation of an 1918 book by Irish writer George Moore titled "The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs" has received mixed and sometimes unappreciative reviews. Some reviewers could perhaps be numbered among those who hold their own predefined expectations and tend to impose preconditions on movies. Ideas such as there should be certain types of story line, that there should be a build-up and climax, that there should be lots of action or exciting bits, lots of special effects or what ever. Reminds me of a 1970 song: Flowers are red young man, Green leaves are green, There's no need to see flowers any other way, Than the way they always have been seen. (forgive my rant) How then about a film that has few of these schoolboyish tags attached to it? How about a movie that, instead of candy and popcorn, has a thoughtful storyline which is illustrated with brilliant historic and social accuracy. A film that, like a really excellent meal, does not have to rely on lots of sauces, sprinkles, and fancy arrangements, but instead is built on first class ingredients, knowledgeable and careful preparation, balanced mixing and cooking, all of which result in a film with beautifully rich texture and characters that are not mere caricatures. A film that lingers many days after watching it.Portraiture, so to speak, is in my opinion, the core strength of the film, and that to a high degree, begins with the highly creative adaptation of the original text. This adaptation adds depth and colour to the characters to a level not found in the original. Not only are the characters very well defined, the backgrounds and settings are exquisitely detailed and accurately painted.Glenn Close gives her character Albert a wonderful depth and texture. Her acting is superb and convincing to the point where, initially not knowing much about the story or the film, I was completely taken in by her Albert and did not recognise him/her as Glenn Close. Janet McTerr plays a blinder as Mr. Page giving us a portrayal which is both deep, convincing and compassionate. By highlighting these two ladies, I, in no way, wish to take from the many other parts played to a level where the observer can feel like they are watching a historical documentary and not fiction. The Irish accents are superbly handled, the acting is restrained and never overplayed, a really great job by the players.I believe that this film has been, to a great extent, overlooked by the critics and the general public. My hope is that it's image will mature with the public similar to the way that "2001 A Space Odyssey", which initially was beyond the limited scope of many critics and reviewers, and because of that, took some time to be fully appreciated, finally got the recognition it deserved.

SnoopyStyle In 19th century Dublin, Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) is a woman living as a man in order to work as a hotel waiter. She is a very particular man who has been saving to buy a tobacco shop. She gets found out when the owner Mrs. Baker (Pauline Collins) hires painter Hubert Page (Janet McTeer) and puts him in her room. Then Hubert reveals that he is also a woman. Unemployed Joe Mackins (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) lies his way into the hotel to get the job of repairing the boiler. Joe is soon sleeping with the maid Helen Dawes (Mia Wasikowska). Albert starts courting Helen but Joe convinces Helen to steal the money for passage to America.It's somewhat fascinating to see the cross-dress acting but the story is really slow. The mannerisms are so odd that it is offputting. Also we know who Glenn Close is and some even Janet McTeer. There is something missing when we know that they are OBVIOUSLY women although nobody is suppose to know. There is a good sense of danger from discovery. However it needs to do much more. None of the characters are sympathetic. Nobbs is delusional. Joe is an obvious creep. Helen is just as much of a schemer or really dumb. I don't think I care for any of the characters.