Albert Nobbs

Glenn Close delivers a sensitive and subtle Oscar-nominated performance in this adaptation of a short story by Irish novelist George Moore. Set in 19th-century Dublin, this Victorian drama chronicles the courage of a woman who—for 30 years—assumed a man's identity to gain respectable work at Morrison's, an opulent, yet intimate hotel. Shy Albert Nobbs (Close) is a butler, quiet and attentive to the needs of the elegant, privileged guests (including Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Brendan Gleeson). A proper servant, Nobbs is always unobtrusive and impeccably attired, living in a solitary upstairs room, where he secretly stashes his earnings under the floorboards. His dream is to save enough money to buy a tobacco shop. But one night, the proprietress informs Nobbs that he will have to share his tiny room—and bed—with a laconic, chain-smoking housepainter, Hubert Page, who is working at the hotel. Before the night is over, Nobbs discovers that Page (Janet McTeer) is not only a fellow woman-disguised-as-a-man but that he/she is also living with a woman (Bronagh Gallagher) to whom he/she is, ostensibly, married. Meanwhile, Nobbs is courting Helen (Mia Wasikowska) a flirty young member of the hotel staff who's hoping that dashing Joe (Aaron Johnson) will take her with him to America. The problem with Colombian director Rodrigo Garcia's (son of novelist Gabriel Garcia Márquez) Albert Nobbs is that it's very hard to believe that either Close or McTeer could pass as men for more than a cursory glance. Still, the sterling performances make this a fascinating watch. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by Oscar-nominated star Glenn Close and director Rodrigo Garcia, deleted scenes (8 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this acting showcase for Close.] (S. Granger)