Most movies which show a woman portraying a man or vice versa are quite the funny variety stemming from the comedy of errors that would ensue in the eventuality of it happening. Cannot remember any one movie with the exception of Boys Don’t Cry which has not picked up this topic in a serious fashion (open to correction – TransAmerica doesn’t count). Albert Nobbs becomes the second one in my memory to do it. And it is done well.
It is a very slow movie and dialogue intensive to begin with. So if you aren’t into that kind of thing then I would strongly suggest that you avoid this movie. But I can also assure you that each frame has been painstakingly made. Rodrigo García has gone through the process of painting each frame like an artist would paint a picture. Could it have been faster – yeah sure. But I guess the end product would not have been better than what has come out eventually.
Albert Nobbs adds to another list that I have been keeping a close watch over this year – that of a female dominated star cast. Hardly any men in there. One male actor who has a reasonable role in Aaron Johnson as the loser Joe. Brendan Gleeson as the good doctor has some role. Every other male character has bit parts at best. Even the better known star such as Jonathan Rhys Meyers has some 2 minutes of screen time.
The stand out part of Albert Nobbs – and yet again The Academy has proven its detractors wrong – are some stunning performances from Glenn Close & Janet McTeer both of whom play men in a man’s world. A very subdued character of Nobbs played by Glenn Close is very unlike the more spunky, aggressive characters that she is normally stereotyped in. Had to be a fall out of the character that she was playing. That of a girl who is raped by a bunch of goons at age 14 and decides that the only way for her to survive in the big bad world is to be a man. A welcome change which is executed very well indeed. A nomination well earned.
The story of Mr. Page (Janet McTeer) is one of the husband being a wife beater and in a night filled with drink beats her up badly enough for her to lose her uterus. She plays the more aggressive character of the two and I would hazard a statement here that she has played the role with more passion that probably Glenn Close. Maybe my eyes playing tricks but I thought I noticed a distint difference.
Either ways, the movie is not meant for Indian audiences who will yawn their way through the better part of 2 hours. Select screening recommended in select cinemas such as PVR Phoenix for best results. 7 on 10 is my verdict on the movie.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1358863897/
It is a very slow movie and dialogue intensive to begin with. So if you aren’t into that kind of thing then I would strongly suggest that you avoid this movie. But I can also assure you that each frame has been painstakingly made. Rodrigo García has gone through the process of painting each frame like an artist would paint a picture. Could it have been faster – yeah sure. But I guess the end product would not have been better than what has come out eventually.
Albert Nobbs adds to another list that I have been keeping a close watch over this year – that of a female dominated star cast. Hardly any men in there. One male actor who has a reasonable role in Aaron Johnson as the loser Joe. Brendan Gleeson as the good doctor has some role. Every other male character has bit parts at best. Even the better known star such as Jonathan Rhys Meyers has some 2 minutes of screen time.
The stand out part of Albert Nobbs – and yet again The Academy has proven its detractors wrong – are some stunning performances from Glenn Close & Janet McTeer both of whom play men in a man’s world. A very subdued character of Nobbs played by Glenn Close is very unlike the more spunky, aggressive characters that she is normally stereotyped in. Had to be a fall out of the character that she was playing. That of a girl who is raped by a bunch of goons at age 14 and decides that the only way for her to survive in the big bad world is to be a man. A welcome change which is executed very well indeed. A nomination well earned.
The story of Mr. Page (Janet McTeer) is one of the husband being a wife beater and in a night filled with drink beats her up badly enough for her to lose her uterus. She plays the more aggressive character of the two and I would hazard a statement here that she has played the role with more passion that probably Glenn Close. Maybe my eyes playing tricks but I thought I noticed a distint difference.
Either ways, the movie is not meant for Indian audiences who will yawn their way through the better part of 2 hours. Select screening recommended in select cinemas such as PVR Phoenix for best results. 7 on 10 is my verdict on the movie.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1358863897/
