Albert Nobbs

2011

Glenn Close co-wrote and stars in this period drama based on the short story The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs by author George Moore, centering on the experiences of a 19th century Irish woman who poses as a man in order to work as a butler at an opulent Dublin hotel for the upper class. Maintaining her elaborate ruse over the course of two decades, Albert (Close) suddenly finds her dedication to the role challenged by the unexpected arrival of a painter who turns out to understand Albert better than anyone she could have imagined. Meanwhile, Albert finds her attempts to help pretty hotel maid Helen (Mia Wasikowska) thwarted when Helen becomes enamored with a charming but callous handyman (Aaron Johnson). Albert Nobbs played at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

Director: Rodrigo García

Starring: Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Janet McTeer, Brendan Gleeson, Aaron Johnson

 40 Reviews  16 Awards

Reviews

  • As directed with grit and grace by Rodrigo García, this quietly devastating film goes bone-deep.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    29 November 2012

  • Close never steps wrong, never breaks reality. My heart went out to Albert Nobbs, the depth of whose fears are unimaginable. But it is Janet McTeer who brings the film such happiness and life as it has, because the tragedy of Albert Nobbs is that there can be no happiness in her life. The conditions she has chosen make it impossible.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    29 November 2012

  • Like the man himself, Albert Nobbs is a sweet, sad, sensitive little film, a haunting reminder that each of us, on some level, is impersonating someone.

    Ann Hornaday - The Washington Post

    29 November 2012

  • As the title character in Albert Nobbs, Glenn Close skulks through Edwardian-era Dublin like a eunuch on a stealth mission.

    Ty Burr - The Boston Globe

    29 November 2012

  • Ms. McTeer's sly, exuberant performance is a pure delight, and the counterpoint between her physical expressiveness and Ms. Close's tightly coiled reserve is a marvel to behold. The rest of the film is a bit too decorous and tidy to count as a major revelation, but it dispenses satisfying doses of humor, pathos and surprise.

    A.O. Scott - The New York Times

    29 November 2012

Awards

  • Best Makeup

    Academy Awards (2012)

     

  • Best Actress

    Australian Film Institute (2012)

     

  • Best Makeup

    Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2012)

     

  • Outstanding Film - Wide Release

    GLAAD Media Awards (2012)

     

  • Best Original Song - Motion Picture

    Golden Globes (2012)

     

Lists

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