Truly Dreadful Film

Such a frustrating disappointment

Beautiful, moving film.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

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.

Wonderful and heartbreaking.One of the best performances by Glenn Close

a great actress becoming part of her role. a story who reminds many others. but , for this motif, it remains unique. and fascinating. because it is just a simple - great story. and nothing else. it gives the portrait of a character who preserves not only the air of the period but the entire fight of generations for the right to be yourself. but it escapes from the formula of social critic or manifesto. because it is a story of survive who becomes a delicate love story. this transformation is one of the huge good points of "Albert Nobbs". because it is more than inspired solution or the spice who gives credibility to the story. but, it is the perfect answer to the viewer expectation. short, one of the most impressive performances of Glenn Close. and more.

I saw Albert Nobbs for the first time about two years ago. I never remember details from films, but I do remember feelings and impressions. I remember having difficulty watching it, finding it disturbing. The other night, wanting to watch something "British" I chose to watch it again. This time I actually turned it off about half way through. Afterward I came to IMDb and read several of the reviews to see if others felt as I did. For the most part, they did not, but bits and pieces of several reviews made me realize what about it bothered me so much. And that was, notwithstanding the fine acting job by Glenn Close, and the others, the character of Albert Nobbs was not believable for several reasons. Perhaps the top reason is how stupid he was. I cannot give specific examples, but just in general, he was not only passive, and impassive, but just downright slow. I also found his little outburst when the character J. McTeer played was in his room, also unbelievable, and only believable if I blamed his stupidity. How could he not know to keep his voice down, and not shriek and carry on freely as he did? And, with regard to his interaction with Mia W.'s character, I mean come on. Did he really think this pretty and flighty young woman would actually fall for him?At first, I thought it was just his being pathetic that made me turn it off before the end. Now I realize that his being intellectually limited was inseparable from how pathetic he appeared.This, combined with, as another reviewer said, his not really looking like a man, being so slight with narrow waist and shoulders, made it all really hard to swallow.