Starring Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska. Written by Glenn Close, John Banville, Gabriella Prekop from a story by George Moore. Directed by Rodrigo García. 14A. 113 min. Opens Feb. 3.
If the sad story of Albert Nobbs’ title character is a fair indication, being a drag king in 1890s Dublin isn’t nearly as much fun as it might sound. Played by Glenn Close in an impressively precise performance that just earned her an Oscar nomination, poor Albert is almost a non-entity: He’s determined to disappear into the background and attract the minimum of attention. His immaculate manners and self-control can’t entirely conceal his constant terror at being found out as something other than a man, a guise he adopted decades before so as to make a very hard life a smidgen easier.
At the same time, this intense degree of circumspection makes him very good at serving rich folks. As this adaptation of a short story by Irish writer George Moore begins, Albert is working in a posh hotel. Though he dreams of opening a shop of his own (and nearly has the savings to do it), a workplace drama involving a flirty maid (Mia Wasikowska) and her brutish boyfriend (Aaron Johnson) may imperil Albert’s petite-bourgeoisie ambitions. Albert’s encounter with Mr. Page (Janet McTeer, who also scored an Oscar nomination), another pretend-bloke whose ruse includes having a devoted wife, adds a further dose of gender confusion to the proceedings.
While even Shakespeare milked similar scenarios for mirth and ribaldry, Albert Nobbs is more tragedy than comedy. And it largely succeeds as such until some heavy-handed plotting and a surplus of sentimentality mar its later stages. The fact that Albert himself remains such an enigma makes the film chillier than director Rodrigo García clearly intends it to be. That’s why McTeer’s character may be the movie’s true emotional centre, as well as an enjoyably butch counterpart to Close’s timid hero.
