Walk Like a Man, Talk Like a Man

"Albert Nobbs"

The film Albert Nobbs must have been a pet project of actress Glenn Close's because her name is all over it.  She starred, produced, co-wrote the screenplay, and even composed the lyrics to the song we hear in the end credits.  I don't know how long Ms. Close has wanted to bring this strange tale to the screen, but it's a project that definitely showcases her acting talents.  Unfortunately, that's about the only positive aspect this film has to offer.

Albert Nobbs takes place at a time where some women believed that by acting and dressing like a man would gain them better employment opportunities and higher wages.  Albert Nobbs (Close) believed just that.  For years Nobbs has worked in many upper class hotels across the country of Ireland.  He has always kept to himself and done a fine job at pleasing his employers and guests of the hotel.  Nobbs has cautiously saved financially to a point where his fantasies of owning his own tobacco shop are within arm’s reach of becoming a reality.  Nobbs’ gender has remained a secret all this time until he is forced to share his living quarters with a visiting house painter, Hubert Page (Janet McTeer,) who it turns out has been also posing as a man.  Nobbs learns though that Page has been married for quite some time.  Albert would like some companionship of his own and sets sights on the lovely maid, Helen (Mia Wasikowska.)  Here in lies the conflict, not only is Helen courting the strapping young Joe (Aaron Johnson,) but Nobbs worries if he can even impress her enough to eventually take her as his wife.  That of course just raises further questions for Albert; does he tell Helen before or after the wedding about the fact that he is actually a woman?

I have no problem with films that want to be either strictly plot driven or completely character driven.  I enjoy them both.  If however a film decides to focus more on its characters than plot, then I expect the screenplay to at least give me some sort of storyline that rises above minimalistic expectations.  At some point during Albert Nobbs, the script gave up on trying to put together a tale of importance, significance, and sympathy.  

I completely get why Nobbs chooses to live the life that he does.  I understand that he has hopes and dreams of becoming something more than just a waiter.  And yes, the fact that Albert does not have anyone to share his life with is put there to evoke feelings of empathy.  Once you look past all of that though, you will see that this film has a bare bones plot.  Ultimately there is nothing going on in this film.  Johnson's and Wasikowska's characters take up far too much screen time.  Their storyline is boring and acts as filler.  Whereas all the scenes between Close and McTeer come off as quite poignant and very well acted; that is to say, all three of their scenes.

It feels as though the writers knew that the scenes between Albert and Hubert were worth spending time on.  There just isn't enough of the two of them together to make the film feature length.  Instead, we are interrupted by the uninspired moments with the two supporting characters.  This goes on for too long making the film out to be almost two hours in length.  The duration doesn't sound like much to sit through, but you have to consider how much of everything else is thinly constructed around Albert and Hubert.  You will soon realize that what material is there seems to be rather transparent. 

Director Rodrigo Garcia and his crew have put together an elegantly designed production.  Aesthetics aside though, Albert Nobbs' flaws though are too great to be ignored.  This could have a good character piece, but with a nonexistent plot and a conclusion that left me both frustrated and dissatisfied I felt nothing towards any of the characters.  Although now that the film is on DVD, I guess one could always take advantage of the chapter skip feature on the remote to get to those few choice scenes I mentioned earlier.  At one point in the film, Albert and Helen purchase some boxes of chocolates, one them containing cream filled centers.  Generally almost all the centers contain delectable filler surrounded by two dark chocolate halves that leave a pleasant after taste in your mouth.  Well, not every center is delicious.  The filler can sometimes taste terrible; leaving you wishing you had just eaten the rich dark chocolate outside.  Albert Nobbs is one of the unsavory ones.  I'll go a step further by saying that this piece of chocolate has no gooey center, it's just hollow.